Leave the Cannoli, Take the Girl
by Whispering Molly
Summary: AU:Mafia Princess Quinn Fabray is in love for the first time in her life. But when her girlfriend Rachel witnesses a horrific crime she makes a choice to keep her safe, a choice that will change both their lives forever but may not keep them from danger.
1. Don't Break the Ice

**A/N: I had planned on getting most of this story written before I started posting chapters simply because I'm finding it difficult to get them written. However, I'm just starting to write chapter 4 and I thought perhaps I'd find more motivation to get moving on the chapters if I felt responsible to you readers to actually get them done and posted. With that in mind I'm also going to say this is looking to be much darker than my last two stories. Also, this story is going to earn its Mature rating. There will be language, violence, and sex, not necessarily in that order. You've been warned right now and I won't be posting warnings before the chapters that contain such things because I don't want to give anything away. Please feel free to let me know what you think as each chapter turns up. I appreciate all feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Glee and its characters belong to Fox, Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. I mean no copyright infringement, this is simply a work of fiction. This disclaimer applies to this and all future chapters.**

**CHAPTER 1: DON'T BREAK THE ICE**

Quinn Fabray and Santana Lopez had been friends since first grade. It was a bond forged in unspoken alliances and sealed in blood. Jimmy Callaghan's blood. They were six years old and in their first week of first grade and even though fifteen years had passed since that day Quinn could still remember it as if it happened yesterday. The roles they slipped into with natural ease on that day had proved to be a template for the roles they would hold for the remainder of their lives. Santana standing proudly, her shoulders thrown back in defiance, her eyes blazing with a barely controlled fire, hands clenched at her sides as Brittany cried softly behind her. Quinn could still hear the sickening crunch of bone and cartilage when Santana's fist connected with Jimmy's nose causing blood to spurt across the green grass of the playground.

The third grader had clasped his hands over his face and cried in pain and outrage. Quinn had seen the defensive stance his friends had taken and she didn't hesitate to move, stepping suddenly into the boys' line of sight, positioning herself slightly in front and to the left of the dark-skinned girl who didn't seem to understand she was severely outnumbered. Quinn didn't need to clench her fists. She didn't need to yell. She really didn't need to say a word and somehow she already knew this at age six. She set her jaw and drew one brow up the way she'd seen her father do so many times. Her steely gaze never left Jimmy's dark green eyes. She never wavered; never flinched. She could hear the whispers from the small crowd that had begun to gather and then Jimmy seemed to come to his senses.

"Whatever. This isn't even worth it. Let 'em watch over the stupid baby. She can be their problem." As if they were one body he and his friends began to move away. But Jimmy's pride was hurt and he knew if his older brother heard about this he'd never hear the end of it. He turned to Santana and pointed at her with a bloody hand. "You're just lucky Fabray showed up when she did or you'd be dead meat!"

Santana scoffed loudly. "Empty threats, Mush Nose. You're such a little bitch. Why don't you go cry to your mommy?" There was a flash of movement when Jimmy turned to launch himself at the brunette and in the next instant he was lying on the ground, more blood pouring from his mouth as he gasped for air. Quinn kneeled down next to the boy she'd just leveled with a well-placed punch and whispered softly so that only he could hear.

"You need to make better choices, Jimmy. These girls are my friends now. Do you know what that makes them?" She waited patiently as if she expected an answer. When she didn't receive one she rose to her feet and lightly dusted blades of grass from her knees and straightened out her yellow dress. Then she looked at the crowd that was staring in shock at the slim girl with a golden ribbon holding back her curly blonde hair. Her gaze suddenly grew serious and her jaw clenched tightly before she pointed toward the Latina and the blonde still standing behind her. "Off limits," she ground out.

The crowd quickly dispersed when a teacher finally ran up to see what the commotion was. "What's going on here?" she cried out when she saw little Jimmy Callaghan lying on the ground bleeding. She looked toward his friends, but they shrugged and shook their heads as if they had no idea why their friend and leader was currently on the ground. She switched her gaze to the three first-graders still standing nearby. The little Spanish girl was comforting the crying blonde, but the other blonde girl was looking at her with a soft smile on her face, her hazel eyes wet with tears. "Honey, do you know what happened?"

Quinn sniffled slightly and shook her head. "I've never seen so much blood," she said in the quietest voice.

The teacher leaned down and helped the boy sit up. "Jimmy, what happened?"

Jimmy looked up and opened his mouth to speak, but quickly closed it again when his eyes locked onto Quinn staring at him. He shook his head and then said weakly, "I was running and I fell. I must have hit a rock or something."

The teacher looked around, but she couldn't readily see anything that could have hurt the boy so badly. "Well, let's get you to the nurse's office and call your parents."

The three young girls still stood in the same spot looking at each other long after everyone else had gone back to their own games. Quinn reached out her hand toward the brunette and said, "I'm Quinn Fabray."

Santana looked at her warily. "You a witch or something?"

"No," Quinn answered, her voice sounding more hurt than she would have liked.

"Then why is everyone so afraid of you?" she countered.

Quinn sighed. In kindergarten Quinn had had friends for a short time, just until their parents found out her last name and then found out that she was one of _those_ Fabray's. Then she didn't have friends. She wasn't invited to the birthday celebrations or included in play groups. She had asked her mom what a criminal was and then had to explain to her that Sara Collins had said that her daddy said that Quinn's daddy was a criminal and that she couldn't be friends with Quinn. Her mom had looked sad and then explained to Quinn that a criminal was someone that did bad things and went to jail because of them. "Is your daddy in jail, Quinnie?" The answer of course had been no, he wasn't. She wouldn't realize until many years later that her mother hadn't asked if Daddy did bad things.

"They're not afraid of me," Quinn answered. "They're afraid of my daddy because he's connected."

The Latina rolled her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Quinn shrugged. "I don't know. It's what I hear people say. He's connected and powerful and so they leave me alone."

Santana seemed to think about this for a moment. Then she threw her shoulders back and smirked at the blonde. "Well I'm not afraid of you or your _daddy_," she said snidely.

Quinn smiled. She believed it. That's why she wanted to be friends with the girl so badly. It wasn't like she was lonely. She had her older sister Franny and she had her mom and some of the guys that worked with her daddy had kids that they'd bring over to play with Quinn occasionally. They'd all come to her birthday party this last summer. Her daddy had hired a clown _and _a bouncy castle _and _they had pony rides. Quinn had dressed up like a princess and everyone had to do what she'd told them. But she didn't have any friends at school. She didn't have anybody in her life that wasn't family or didn't work for her family and she felt like she needed that. Something just for herself.

"Good cause I'm not afraid of you either."

Finally the tiny, pale blonde beside Santana spoke for the first time. "Hi. I'm Brittany S. Pierce. You look like a princess. You're going to be our new friend, right San?"

The Latina looked at the girl standing beside her and then sighed and gave Quinn another once over, as if she were still deciding if this girl would even be worth the effort of being friends. "I guess we can be friends. I'm Santana Lopez. That was awesome how you moved so fast to level him. You have to show me how you did it."

Quinn's smile lit up her face. She started telling the girls about her karate classes and as the warning bell for the end of recess sounded she turned and slowly began walking back toward the large brick building. Santana automatically began following her, a slight step behind and to her right as Brittany moved into step to Quinn's left. She reached her hand across to Santana and they linked pinkies behind Quinn's back, forming a perfect triangle.

Quinn didn't know why she was thinking about that now as she stood outside a different brick building, gazing up at dark windows and frowning. She'd already hit the intercom button beside the name "R. Berry" twice. Now she checked her phone for the time and frowned again up at the tall brick building. She turned and leaned against the brick, her gaze taking in the shapes and sounds of Washington Square Park without really focusing on any of the detail. The sun was just beginning to dip into the late-spring horizon and the view was a wonderful juxtaposition of shadows and bright lights. The brick against her back was still warm from the sun's rays and she sighed as she scrolled her phone to Rachel's number and waited patiently for the line to connect. She smiled when the brunette on the other line picked up without even saying hello.

"Quinn I'm so sorry. I know I'm late. Please forgive me."

Quinn chuckled lightly. "I was getting a little worried. You're never late. I thought I'd misunderstood our plans. I was supposed to pick you up, right?"

"Yes, yes, but I had a meeting with my Compositions professor and you know what a windbag he is. I thought I'd never get out of there. Are you already at my place?"

"I am. Where are you?"

"Just walking out of the building." As Rachel spoke Quinn could hear the change in background noise showing exactly how literal her girlfriend was. She smiled again. She really couldn't help herself when Rachel was concerned. "I think I'm actually closer to the restaurant where I am now than if I went home and we went together. Baby, what if I just meet you there? I feel badly that you went all the way to my apartment and I'm not even there, but it seems like the most logical choice at this point so that we're not too late."

"You know it doesn't matter what time we get there, right Rach? My dad owns the place. It's not like we need or have reservations."

Rachel chuckles softly into the phone. "I know. I still can't get used to that. Either way, I can get there first and order us drinks so by the time you get there we'll have a table and already be seated."

"Alright. I'll see you soon, hon. Love you." Quinn waited for Rachel's response of "Love you too, Baby," before she disconnected the call, pushed herself off the brick wall and turned north toward Midtown. She considered getting a cab. It would definitely get her there sooner, but she was only twenty minutes away walking distance and she had been planning on walking with Rachel there anyway. It was a pleasantly warm evening and so she decided to take the favored New York mode of transportation and just walk.

She was feeling nostalgic anyway and a walk suited her mood well. She smiled softly as she recalled the memory she'd been immersed in moments before. It had been a long time since she'd thought about Jimmy Callaghan and that fateful day on the playground. She, Santana, and Brittany had been inseparable from that moment forward. Quinn had been a little surprised when their friendship had lasted beyond the first week, but at the time she didn't want to question something as wonderful as finally finding true friends. By third grade she understood why it was that no one told Santana and Brittany that they shouldn't be friends with Quinn Fabray because her father was a dangerous criminal.

Santana's dad was doing his second stint upstate for armed robbery. Her mom worked three jobs just to put a roof over Santana's and her two brother's heads so she didn't really have time to worry about who the little blonde girl's father was or even what Quinn's last name was. Quinn wasn't sure the overworked woman even knew what her first name was. When they were thirteen and Santana's oldest brother Miguel was arrested on drug charges things got even worse for her friend. She could still remember the look on her father's face when he found out that she'd been hiding underneath Santana's bed with her and a sobbing Brittany when the police had raided the place. The next day Santana's mother had a new job at one of her father's many businesses and the entire family was moving into a nicer apartment that Russell had paid first and last on so they didn't have to spend another night in their old place.

Brittany's parents were strange. Quinn didn't understand them at all. They were funny sometimes, but in a way that always made her feel uncomfortable. She'd asked Franny about it and she'd just said they were hippy stoners, as if that was supposed to explain everything. By the age of ten she began understanding it all a little better. Brittany's parents liked to act as if they were free spirits; as if their lack of attention or any kind of depth of concern for their daughter was the choice they were making for _her_ benefit, to let her find her own way and be her own person. In actuality, they just loved their pot more. They loved the high and weren't willing to give it up long enough to give their daughter a sober moment of their time. Whatever brain cells they'd had at one point that might have helped them to see that Brittany needed special attention had long ago been killed in a haze of simulated euphoria.

Quinn was thankful to have her parents. Sure they drank occasionally, sometimes her mother a little too much, but they were always _present_. Her mother came to all of her elementary school plays and choir recitals. When she became interested in gymnastics in junior high her father had paid for lessons in addition to the practices she was participating in at school. She had never stopped attending karate lessons and had expanded her studies to a couple different disciplines in order to further train her body into the lean, muscular form that it currently was. When she'd told her dad that she wished Santana could be in karate with her he'd paid for the girl's lessons and when the violence bothered Brittany he paid for dance lessons for her.

When they reached high school they were a force to be reckoned with. She'd overheard her sister referring to them as the Unholy Trinity once and she'd smiled because it sounded completely badass. Santana had smiled wickedly when she'd told her what she'd overheard. Each of them alone were strong in their own ways, but together they were unstoppable, unbreakable. And unfortunately for Quinn, untouchable.

She'd made it through junior high fairly unscathed romantically. There had been a couple crushes that never amounted to anything. No boys were brave enough to actually ask her out, not even to a school dance. That had been okay because she and Santana and Brittany just went together. High school changed everything. Santana and Brittany were no longer simply friends and Quinn realized that she wasn't that upset that no boy had ever asked her out. She wasn't as interested in them as she was in the girls that usually walked beside them. Her self-realization didn't change the fact, though, that if they weren't afraid of her they were forbidden by their parents to associate with her and the few possibilities for a relationship that were left after those filters left no one that Quinn was interested in.

After graduation Santana got a job with Quinn's father as a courier. She and Brittany moved into a small apartment together and Brittany started teaching dance classes at a small studio on the East Side. For a nanosecond Quinn had considered going to college out of state, but the thought of being so far away from the two girls she loved as much, if not more than, her family outweighed the possibility of getting out from under the weight of being a daughter of known mobster Russell Fabray. She was no longer under any illusions as to what her father did for a living. Abstractly, she knew what paid for the enormous Central Park West apartment with the breathtaking view of the city that she called home. She knew what paid for her father's vintage car collection and her mother's extensive array of jewelry. She knew what paid for Franny to get her Master's at NYU Steinhardt in communications debt-free.

She hated that Santana worked for her father. Quinn had no choice about the life she'd been born into, but Santana did. Although, when Quinn thought about it, maybe Santana hadn't had a choice either. Whatever the case, decisions had been made and Santana was no longer a courier for her father. She'd moved up quickly and was now deeply entrenched in the organization. Quinn was about to finish her junior year at NYU Law. Criminals needed lawyers after all and Quinn knew a lot of criminals.

She'd convinced herself that she didn't need romantic love. She had her family, flawed as they were. She had Santana and Brittany whom she loved dearly and would do anything for. She had her studies which kept her insanely busy because she knew that at some point her services would be called upon and she needed to be the best lawyer she could possibly be. She didn't need nor did she have time for a relationship. And then nearly a year ago a tiny brunette fell into her lap, literally.

She'd been sitting on a bench in Washington Park reading for one of her classes when suddenly there was a squeal and the girl had fallen in her lap as three little dogs yapped loudly around her legs and a fourth one took off at a sprint dragging a leash behind it. Quinn had been instantly entranced by the big brown eyes that looked at her with tears as she apologized for encroaching on her personal space. Quinn hadn't cared. She would have been fine holding the warmth of the girl in her lap all day long, but since it was their first meeting she instead offered to help the distressed girl find the dog that had escaped.

During the course of that afternoon and evening, as they found the rogue canine and then decided to celebrate by getting dinner, she learned that the brunette's name was Rachel Berry. She was in her sophomore year at NYU – Tisch. She was from a small town in Ohio but had dreamed her entire life of living in New York City and becoming a huge Broadway star. She was vegan and a contributing member of PETA which was why she thought that a part-time job as a dog walker would be an excellent way to not only make some extra money, but also contribute to the happiness and welfare of man's best friend. She had come to the conclusion that while all animals deserved to be treated with proper dignity and care, not all people were intended to provide that care and perhaps she was not best suited for the life of a canine caretaker. Quinn had come to the conclusion that she was entirely smitten.

When she had walked Rachel back to her apartment that evening she had asked if she was interested in going on a date with her the following evening. Rachel had blushed and looked up through her lashes with a demure smile that made Quinn's heart skip in her chest in a way she'd never felt before. Two weeks later they were officially dating, two months after that Rachel met her parents, a month later they had sex for the first time, two months after that Quinn told her she loved her and Rachel reciprocated, two months later Quinn finally stopped expecting Rachel to break up with her.

Rachel was special. Brittany absolutely loved her. Santana tolerated her because she could see how much Quinn and Brittany loved her. The fact that she made Quinn so deliriously happy was a huge plus in her favor as well, as far as the Latina was concerned. Quinn didn't know how it was she'd found someone who could love her so unconditionally, someone who was so much fun to be around, was intelligent and funny and annoying, but adorable all at the same time. She did know that she never wanted to do anything to ruin what they were building and she worked constantly to make it clear to Rachel that she was separate from her father's business. But Rachel didn't seem to care. She never asked Quinn what it was like to be a "mafia princess" as one drunken girl had her freshman year at NYU. She didn't really ask Quinn about her family at all. She seemed to only care about knowing Quinn, not her father.

When it was apparent that Rachel didn't care about the Fabray name Quinn kept expecting one of Rachel's many friends to talk her into leaving her. Rachel had a lot of friends. She was always going to these mixers at school and dragging Quinn along with her. Quinn could see the change in people's demeanor when Rachel would introduce her as, "this is my girlfriend, Quinn Fabray", but Rachel never seemed to notice. She was always talking about her classes and what certain people in her class said or how their performance was good but could have been better. She belonged to, like three different study groups and was always meeting them for coffee to work on a project. Either all of the girl's friends were too afraid to say anything to Rachel about who her girlfriend was or they had warned the girl and Rachel refused to care.

Quinn was pulled from her reverie by the sound of her phone ringing. She pulled it from her pocket and smiled when she saw Brittany's smiling face lighting up the screen.

"Hey, Britt. What's up?"

"_I'm bored. I was wondering if you and Rachel wanted to come over and play "Name That Tune" with me and Lord Tubbington."_

Quinn smiled into the phone as she waited at an intersection for the walk signal. "I'd love to Britt, but I'm meeting Rachel for dinner right now. Let me ask her and maybe after we eat we can come over if you're still bored. Does that sound good?"

"_I guess we can wait," _Brittany sighed into the phone.

"Why are you bored anyway? Isn't Santana home yet?"

"_No," _Brittany sighed sadly into the phone again. _"She got called into work. Something about rats at the restaurant."_

Quinn didn't know why, but she suddenly felt cold and her chest tightened in fear. Her mind worked over what Brittany had just said and a sick feeling began to form in her stomach. She licked her lips as she tried to maintain a calm voice as she asked the blonde her next question. "Britt, honey, what exactly did Santana say?"

Now Brittany sounded bored. _"Just that she had to go out for a while because Russell had called and he found a rat at the restaurant and he needed her help taking care of it. I don't know why he couldn't just call an exterminator. San hates rats."_

"Which restaurant?" Quinn's breath was coming in ragged gasps now and her feet had automatically quickened their pace. _Please, God, no_, she thought as she waited for Brittany's answer.

"_What?"_

"Which restaurant had the rat problem Brittany?" Quinn knew she sounded harsh, but she couldn't help herself and Brittany didn't seem to notice or care.

"_Oh. That really nice Italian one over by your school. Um, I think it's on 11__th__?"_

_No!_ Quinn disconnected the call and shoved the phone back in the pocket of her jeans as she turned her brisk walk into a full out sprint. She flashed past other pedestrians who cried out in surprise as she weaved around them, brushing against a few who sent curse words her way, but she didn't care. Rachel was meeting her at the restaurant; the restaurant where her father was currently taking care of a rat problem. That could only mean one thing. She pushed herself until her lungs burned and her muscles screamed, every inch of her body screaming for Rachel to please not have made it there already.

She could see the familiar red awning now as she raced down the street. Her eyes scanned for the short brunette as she prayed that the girl had decided to wait outside for her. She was ten feet away when the door to the restaurant was flung open and a wide-eyed Rachel Berry stumbled onto the sidewalk, tears streaming down her face as she tried to bring air into her lungs with gulping breaths. She didn't seem to even see Quinn as the blonde stopped in front of her and gripped her arms.

"Please, help." Rachel's voice was barely audible as she seemed to choke and then leaned against the side of the building and vomited. "Police. We have to call the police," she whispered as a fresh wave of tears poured down her face.

Before Quinn could even figure out what to do or make a decision the door swung open again and she stared into the dark eyes of her best friend. Santana looked deeply into her hazel eyes then looked at the visibly shaken form of Rachel and for an instant she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them her eyes were wet as she stared into Quinn's terrified and knowing gaze. Santana looked back toward the building as if she could see through the concrete and steel to everything that was going on inside those walls. She swallowed hard and then said with a surprisingly calm voice, "Get her out of here. Now," and then disappeared back inside the building.

Quinn didn't waste any more time. She wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist and dragged her to the curb where she expertly whistled for a cab. As the yellow taxi disappeared into a sea of bright red lights Quinn chanced a backward glance over the sobbing brunette currently curled up in her arms and swore she could make out the familiar form of her father standing on the sidewalk, silhouetted by headlights, and staring right at her.


	2. Jeopardy!

**CHAPTER 2: JEOPARDY!**

Rachel smiled happily as she disconnected from her phone call with Quinn. She quickly calculated that it was approximately four blocks to the restaurant and decided to walk instead of paying for a taxi. After all, she'd spent most of her life dreaming about living in the "city that never sleeps" and she wasn't about to waste a perfectly good opportunity to enjoy the ambiance of a walk along its sidewalks at dusk, even if four New York City blocks was a much larger task than four Lima, Ohio blocks. At the thought of Lima she cringed and smiled at the same time. She definitely had a love-hate relationship with her hometown. She would always have fond memories because it was where she'd spent her formative years and where her fathers still lived, but it was also the place that made her feel creatively stifled and had attempted with an almost religious fervor to decimate any ounce of self-esteem she tried to cultivate.

Rachel smiled softly to herself as she thought about her summer plans. As much as she disliked Lima, she did miss her fathers and she was looking forward to seeing them again. In addition to that she was going to ask Quinn tonight if she would be willing to come spend a few weeks of summer with her in Lima and meet her parents. Just the thought of the beautiful blonde sent warm shivers down her spine. She would forever be thankful that her one day as a dog walker had brought the woman into her life. She'd been so lonely before Quinn and now she had a girlfriend and a couple of friends and it was more than she'd ever had in Lima. She'd been hopeful that New York's diverse population would offer the possibility of more compatible personalities and that she'd be able to make more friends, but she'd been sorely disappointed. Sure, she had her study groups and she went to as many mixers as possible, but none of those people were really her friends.

She'd always imagined that as soon as she moved to New York she would have so many friends because everyone here was talented too so they wouldn't be jealous of her. What she hadn't considered was that while they may not be jealous of her talent they would still be her competition and her need to be the best, to win at everything, often meant that she alienated the few that might have been her friends. She had accepted that it would be a lonely rise to the top when she met Quinn and the blonde opened the door to a new world of possibilities. She finally knew what it felt like to be loved by someone other than her parents and Quinn's friends Brittany and Santana had accepted her with open arms. Well, mostly Brittany had, but Santana was generally cordial.

She'd taken Quinn to a couple of parties because she'd wanted to show the blonde girl off to all the people that had turned their noses up at an offer of friendship, but it had backfired as most of her plans did. Instead of them all realizing that she could be a fun, interesting person to get to know, they became even more jealous of her for having snagged such a catch as Quinn Fabray. She assumed it was jealousy because the few people she was more well acquainted with would occasionally ask her if she was still dating Quinn and when she would tell them how effusively happy she was with her girlfriend they would frown, or hum this little disapproving sound. She'd grown tired of it so she just stopped mentioning her girlfriend at all when she went to her study groups and she stopped attending the parties because she had better things to do with Quinn.

By the time Rachel reached 11th Avenue the sun had disappeared beyond the horizon enough to require streetlights to come on and the lit up signage of businesses was a stark contrast to the approaching darkness. She frowned slightly when she noticed the lights above _Confianza_ were dark. When she got closer she could see that the windows were dark and a "Sorry, We're Closed" sign was in the window. She stood there for a moment, confusion etching its way across her face, watching a few pedestrians hurry by in their rush to reach their destinations. She looked back at the darkened restaurant and chewed on her lip in indecision.

She knew she was at the right place. She and Quinn had come here many times before for dinner because it was so close to school and Quinn's father was the owner. At that reminder a small smile flickered across her face. Quinn had said she was at Rachel's apartment but if she'd taken a cab she could have easily beaten Rachel to the restaurant. It would be just like Quinn to shut down the restaurant so the two of them could have a romantic dinner alone. With a tentative hand Rachel reached out and grasped the door handle. When it slowly swung open her smile widened with love and anticipation. If the door was unlocked then the appearance of the restaurant's closure was just to keep others out.

The door closed softly behind her and Rachel felt a light sweat break out against her skin as her heart rate increased. Her breath felt heavy in her chest as her eyes adjusted to the darkness within the dining area. The only light seemed to be the soft glow coming from the overhead lamps above the bar. For a moment she thought perhaps she was wrong and she should just leave. If she was wrong about this being a surprise from Quinn then she didn't want to be arrested for trespassing. She appeased that fear by once again reminding herself that Quinn's father owned _Confianza_ and she sincerely doubted he would press any charges against his daughter's girlfriend.

She had met him only a few times, but he seemed like a very caring father even if to Rachel he came across as extremely intimidating. She assumed that was a side effect of his line of work, although now that she thought about it she wasn't sure exactly what that line of work was. She knew that the Fabray's were extremely wealthy, that Russell Fabray owned many different businesses. She had overheard conversations that insinuated that he was powerfully connected so she thought he was most likely involved in politics although she was fairly certain he wasn't an elected official, but she'd never specifically asked Quinn what her father did. She was far more interested in the blonde-haired beauty than in her father.

She had almost talked herself into simply turning around and exiting the darkened and seemingly deserted building to wait for Quinn outside when she heard a muted sound come from the kitchen. It was then that she noticed the light shining from beneath the swinging door that led to the back room and a smile once again flashed across her face. Last weekend she and Quinn had engaged in a Sarah Michelle Gellar marathon. They had snuggled on the couch and watched _I Know What You Did Last Summer_, _Scooby Doo_, _The Grudge_, _Simply Irresistible_, and a couple of _Buffy _episodes from Quinn's extensive collection. Quinn had wanted to keep the marathon to only her scariest movies for cuddling purposes, but Rachel had required a break between the veritable scare-fest Quinn had planned. When Rachel had stated during the viewing of _Simply Irresistible_ that she found the idea of emotions being shared through food completely sexy Quinn had left for a moment and come back with melted dark chocolate and strawberries. When that led to what Brittany would refer to as "sexy times" on the couch and the credits were rolling on a movie they hadn't even seen half of Quinn had promised they'd watch it again at another time.

As Rachel made her way slowly toward the soft glow coming from the kitchen area she couldn't help the feeling of excitement that perhaps Quinn had planned some sort of reenactment from the movie. She pushed the swinging door open slowly and stepped hesitantly through the doorway. She had never been in this area of the restaurant and she felt unsure of herself but she pushed forward, feeling slightly better now that she was in a well-lit area. Directly in front of her was a large stainless steel table that seemed to be some sort of prepping station. She could see grills and ovens against the far wall and other appliances that she didn't recognize. She couldn't see anyone and she wondered what she had heard earlier when she heard another noise come from her left. She walked along the prep table and when she reached the corner of the room and could see down a small hallway to what appeared to be some sort of cleaning and prepping area she stopped in her tracks.

While she didn't quite understand what she was seeing she instantly knew that she'd made the wrong decision ever entering the restaurant. She knew she shouldn't be here, that she should turn around and leave right now before anyone had an opportunity to see her, but the sight before her made her stomach turn and her legs feel as if they were made of jelly and she gripped the stainless steel table for balance as her brain tried to gain control of her body.

In the middle of the room sat a man, probably not much older than her although it was difficult to tell his age through the blood and bruises on his face. His sweaty brown hair fell into eyes that were swollen almost completely shut. His cheek was split open, but the blood was dried and caked to his skin whereas the blood dripping from his nose and mouth was much more fresh. His hands were tied behind the back of the chair and seemed to be the only thing keeping him upright as he leaned forward letting the blood drip on the concrete floor in front of him.

Against the wall closest to Rachel another man leaned lazily picking at his nails as if he were simply waiting for the next train to roll into the station. He had short brown hair and was extremely tall and lean, but not muscular at all. There was a vacant expression on his face that Rachel found extremely disconcerting, as if he saw this kind of thing every day and it didn't bother him in the least, and probably never had. What had truly startled Rachel and what kept her feet firmly planted where they were in paralyzing fear was the sight of Russell Fabray standing in front of the bleeding man with a steely gaze as cold and murderous as she'd ever seen in her life.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Russell asked. His voice was conversational, as if the two men were sitting down to lunch and he'd just asked him to please pass the salt. "Do you know how many shipments I've lost to police raids in the last two months? Five. Five shipments of perfectly good pharmaceuticals intercepted by the police in a matter of eight weeks." He sniffed softly and his jaw clenched tightly. "Now, I'm a business man so I understand that there will be the occasional loss, but like any good businessman when I see a sudden spike in losses, especially in a specific area of my business, then of course I'm going to investigate. Do you know what I found when I investigated?"

The nearly unconscious man moaned softly and Russell nodded almost imperceptibly toward the tall man leaning against the wall. Instantly, the man pushed from the wall and reached forward, grabbed the sitting man's hair and pulled his head back so hard Rachel could see the tendons in his neck straining and his Adam's apple bobbing harshly against the skin of his throat. He gurgled against the blood pooling in his throat and Rachel felt nausea wash through her at the sound. Her brain kept screaming at her to leave, but for some reason she couldn't bring her body to move. Now she was terrified that if she moved she'd be spotted and like a deer frozen by headlights on a highway she remained rooted to the spot.

With a quick movement that Rachel didn't see coming at all Russell's fist flew forward and punched the man hard in the ribs. There was a loud groan and blood sprayed from his mouth as air was forcibly expelled from his lungs. The tall man holding his hair chuckled lightly at his pain and then wiped a few drops of blood from his hand against the beaten man's shirt. With another nod from Russell his hair was released and he fell forward as he wheezed and coughed for breath as the tall man resumed his position against the wall. Russell continued speaking, this time his voice rising slightly with rage.

"I found the one commonality between all of that lost merchandise was you, Bobby. Now, do you know what that tells me? I think you know what that tells me. You seem like a smart boy, Bobby. Tell me what that tells me."

The beaten man coughed up more blood and spat at the floor before looking up slowly to meet Russell's cold blue eyes. "You say I'm smart," he barely wheezed out between his bruised and split lips, "but if I'm as smart as you think I am why would I have made it so obvious? Why wouldn't I have spread it out so that you would think they were normal raids instead of hitting you almost all at once?"

Russell's eyes seemed to light with a fiery rage and he clenched his fist as if he were about to strike when suddenly the back door opened and two people walked in from the back alley. Rachel instantly knew this was her opportunity to leave undetected because everyone's attention was drawn to the opening door, but her shock at seeing _who_ had just come through the door kept her firmly planted and she once again was stuck in a state of fear and paralysis.

The man that entered was large. He could have been described as brutish, his frame was thick and muscular. He wasn't as tall as Tall Man, but he was still slightly over six feet. His hair was dark brown and cut short, military style. His eyes were beady and the smirk that flashed across his face at the sight of the bleeding man sent chills down Rachel's spine.

But the sight of Brutus was not what terrified Rachel so much that she couldn't find the strength to move. It was the very familiar figure of Santana Lopez, her friend, _Quinn's_ friend walking through the door with such ease and sense of belonging that it felt to Rachel as if this all must be some sort of dream because she knew Santana and she couldn't be involved in something like this. She just couldn't. And then Santana spoke and Rachel knew this wasn't a dream. It was some kind of nightmare.

"His name's not Bobby. We went through his room and found this," she held up a small book of some kind, "which led us to his real apartment. His name's Artie Abrams and he's a cop out of the 5th District." She then tossed a black wallet toward Russell and Rachel could see the gold flash of a shield as Russell looked at what had been given him.

Russell's jaw worked angrily as he looked at the shield for a moment and then flung it angrily against the wall. "Motherfucker!" He paced angrily and scratched hastily at his blonde hair before he finally stood in front of the bleeding man who now looked more fearful than he had during the entire time he was being beaten. "Don't I pay you people enough to stay the fuck out of my business?" He scratched his head again and then reached behind his back. "I guess I'm paying the wrong people. That will have to be remedied, but first I'm a firm believer in cleaning up your own messes."

With very little warning he drew his hand up and Rachel watched in horror as the young man's legs scrambled futilely against the floor in a desperate attempt to somehow escape his inevitable fate. The gun shot wasn't loud because of the silencer attached to the muzzle, but it still had the same effect as the back of the man's head exploded and his body instantly slumped in the chair, his legs stilling and falling in an unnatural angle from the edges of the chair. Rachel gasped softly and finally her legs moved backward, but she stepped too far and brushed against the stainless steel prep table. She heard Santana's voice.

"Hudson, did you lock the front?"

Rachel turned and stumbled quickly through the swinging door, her feet now moving in a way that she wished she'd been able to make them move just five minutes ago. Tears streamed down her face and she felt as if she were going to vomit. She found it difficult to breathe and she had no idea and no recollection of how exactly she made it through the darkness of the dining area, but suddenly she was outside and the sounds of traffic and bright lights seemed to assault her even as she gulped greedily at the cool night air.

She couldn't find her voice as she asked for help and before she could get control of the sickness roiling in her stomach she felt herself leaning against the coolness of the building exterior and vomiting what little was in her stomach. She knew she needed to call the police and she thought she said so, but she couldn't be sure. She was in such a daze she was barely cognizant of arms wrapping around her and in the next moment she was being helped into the back of a cab and when comforting, familiar arms wrapped around her she realized it was Quinn.

Rachel clung tightly to her girlfriend and sobbed uncontrollably against her chest. She couldn't catch her breath and she couldn't stop the panic that coursed through her veins. In her mind all she could see was red and grey as the young police officer's head exploded in front of her eyes over and over as if her mind were stuck on some sort of horrible loop and she had no idea how to turn it off. She was barely aware of Quinn's voice as she quietly whispered words that made no sense to Rachel. It wasn't long before Quinn was helping her out of the taxi and then Quinn was reaching through Rachel's purse and they were riding in an elevator as she leaned heavily against Quinn. When she realized where they were she turned her terrified eyes and pale face to Quinn.

"Why are we at my apartment?"

Quinn didn't reply as she unlocked Rachel's apartment door and locked it behind her. She led Rachel to her bed and the brunette automatically curled up on top of the comforter. Tears continued to leak from her eyes as she quietly watched Quinn pace across her bedroom floor. The blonde rubbed her hands briskly across her face and then breathed out a deep sigh.

"Okay," she said as she opened Rachel's closet and pulled a small suitcase out and placed it on the bed, "okay. Everything's going to be okay. I'm going to take care of this Rachel. I'm going to keep you safe. I promise you, I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Quinn kept talking as she began to hastily pull clothes from Rachel's dresser and toss them into the opened suitcase.

"Money won't be a problem. I have an account that no one knows about. The thing we have to do right now is put some distance between us and New York so we'll get on the road tonight. Do you have a passport? If you don't that's okay because I know a guy and I might have to contact him anyway. It'd probably be a good idea to get some fake ID's sooner rather than later. If you have a passport we can drive to Canada and get a flight out of Toronto or something. If not, we could head south and get a flight once we're a few hundred miles out of the city."

As Quinn continued to ramble about her plans to leave the city Rachel felt even more confusion set in. She had just witnessed a horrible, brutal murder. Of a police officer. By Quinn's father. Why was Quinn in such a hurry to get out of town? She needed to go to the police station. She needed to tell them what she had seen so that the appropriate people could be arrested.

"Quinn, we have to go to the police," she said firmly as she forced herself to sit up on her bed. Quinn had moved from Rachel's dresser to the bathroom and was now tossing essential toiletries into the almost full suitcase. Rachel grew suddenly angry at being seemingly ignored by her girlfriend. "Quinn! I'm not going anywhere except to the closest police station. I just witnessed a murder and the conscientious thing to do is to report what I saw!"

Quinn stopped in the middle of the room and for the first time since Rachel's entire existence was altered their eyes met. Quinn's hazel eyes were wet with tears, but what scared Rachel was the lack of panic that she saw in them. Quinn's breath was coming quickly and she moved with a frenzied purpose, but her eyes were calm and Rachel felt everything in a flash of realization. _Quinn knew. She knew what her father was._ Neither of them moved for a long time as they read the hurt, confusion, regret, and guilt in each other's eyes. The sound of Quinn's phone ripped them from their trance and Rachel watched quietly as Quinn looked at the caller id and then closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and answered the phone with a throaty "Hello."

Rachel watched silently as Quinn listened to whoever was on the other side of the phone call. Tears welled in the blonde's eyes and her throat muscles worked quickly as she listened and Rachel couldn't stop the urge to hold the young woman, but she forced herself not to move from her spot.

"I understand." Quinn said quietly. Rachel watched as Quinn visibly flinched and then mumbled something incoherent. There was another pause and when Quinn spoke again her voice was barely a whisper. "Yeah, we'll probably just get something to go." Quinn paused and then her voice was choked with tears that streamed down her face as she said, "Tell B I love her and I'll see her some other time. Bye, San." Quinn disconnected the call and closed her eyes tightly for a moment before taking a deep breath, brushing her hands across her eyes and quickly moving toward the bed, closing the packed suitcase and zipping it. "We have to go now."

Rachel shook her head vehemently and stepped away from Quinn. "The only place I'm going is the police station, Quinn. By not reporting what I saw tonight I could be considered an accessory after the fact. I've seen enough law shows to know that and you're in law school. You should know that it's my duty to report what I witnessed."

"Rachel, you cannot tell anyone what you saw tonight," Quinn hissed angrily. "Don't you understand that? Your life is in danger right now and we need to get out of here, right now."

Quinn reached forward to grab Rachel's wrist, but the brunette pulled away forcefully.

"No, Quinn! I'm not leaving."

Anger flashed in Quinn's eyes and she stepped forward and grabbed Rachel by the arms firmly.

"You are leaving here with me right now if I have to drag you out," she nearly growled.

"Aww, are we interrupting a lover's spat?"

Rachel gasped as she looked up to see the dark figure of Brutus standing in her bedroom doorway. She could make out the towering figure of Tall Man standing just behind him. She felt Quinn's grip tighten around her arms and sensed the blonde's entire body stiffen. She shifted her gaze to her girlfriend's eyes and a sick feeling welled up in her belly at the fear she saw there. In the next instant it seemed as if a steel curtain fell across Quinn's face and then she released her hold on Rachel's arms as she turned to face the two men blocking their escape, keeping herself between them and Rachel.


	3. Deal or No Deal

**CHAPTER 3: DEAL OR NO DEAL**

Quinn had been in very few real fights. Most of her experiences were simulated situations during karate classes. Even then, though, when the adrenaline would begin to pump through her body there was a calm that would come over her that would override the panic or the fear. Her sensei had told her that not everyone had this ability. She had learned quickly to use it to her advantage because in the heat of a match or in the middle of a random mugging (which was one of the few times she'd actually fought for her life) this calm feeling allowed her to push all extraneous information to the background. It gave her a strategic advantage to be able to think two, sometimes three strikes ahead of her opponent.

From the moment she had helped Rachel to her bed she had felt that calm wash over her. It allowed her to see the situation and all of their possible moves as if she were viewing a chess board. Her father hated chess. He didn't have the patience for it. She didn't know what Rachel had stumbled upon at _Confianza_, but she knew it was bad. She knew it was bad because Rachel had been crying hysterically for nearly fifteen minutes. She knew it was bad because of the look on her best friend's face when she'd told them to leave. So she moved into action.

She pulled a suitcase out of Rachel's closet and began filling it as a plan formed in her mind. She had an account in the Cayman's that no one knew about. Somehow she'd always felt that she would need a back-up plan, an escape route. This was it. As she hurriedly filled the suitcase she tried to reassure Rachel that they would be okay because she had a plan of escape.

Rachel's eyes were wild and her voice frantic when she insisted they go to the police right away. Quinn stood in the middle of the room staring at her rapidly unraveling girlfriend. She knew she somehow had to convince Rachel not to go to the police. It was really the only chance she had at keeping Rachel alive because she knew her father wouldn't let a witness get away. There was a reason he'd never been arrested. Russell Fabray never left a witness and from those within his organization he demanded exacting loyalty. Quinn watched with a sinking dread as Rachel seemed to put some things together. She saw the hurt and confusion in those brown eyes and it pained her. Her phone's ringtone split the air and she diverted her gaze to the caller ID only to feel her heart clench painfully in her chest as Santana's name and face flashed across the screen.

Her "hello" sounded pained even to her. Santana's voice was low and controlled, but Quinn could hear the slight tremor and knew that she was just as scared and sad as Quinn was.

"_Hey, Q. So I know you and Rachel were going to come over for dinner tonight, but Britt and I are gonna have to cancel."_

She was speaking in code. Either someone was there with Santana or one or both of their phones were tapped. "I understand," Quinn replied quietly.

"_Yeah, sorry, but B only placed an order for two from that take out place in Hell's Kitchen."_

Quinn felt fear ripple through her body at what Santana was saying. Two contracts had been ordered which meant that Rachel wasn't the only one whose life was in danger. Her father must have seen her in the taxi and the fact that she spirited Rachel away instead of letting him deal with the situation meant that in his eyes she had betrayed him. There was nothing left for her and the only choice she and Rachel would have was to run because her father would do everything within his power to make sure neither of them were able to ever breathe a word about what had happened tonight.

She was barely able to murmur her acknowledgement of Santana's cryptic words with the way her throat was closing up. She knew that part of it was her efforts to keep her emotions in check. She loved her family. She loved Santana and Brittany. And yet, she loved Rachel more. She loved her enough to walk away from all of them in order to keep her alive and safe. The other reason she was finding it incredibly difficult to speak was the second part of Santana's message. The order had come from a place in Hell's Kitchen. They didn't frequent any places in Hell's Kitchen. But Quinn knew two guys that worked for her father whose initials were H and K and the idea that these two were the ones that had picked up the contracts on her and Rachel absolutely terrified her.

She finally gained enough control over her voice to whisper a reply to Santana to let her know that she and Rachel would not be sticking around. "Yeah, we'll probably just get something to go." At the realization that this could possibly be the last time she would ever hear her best friend's voice tears began to stream down her cheeks unchecked. If this were a normal conversation she would not tell Santana that she loved her, but she needed to say the words somehow, to give her the message. "Tell B I love her and I'll see her some other time. Bye, San."

Quinn ended the call and closed her eyes tightly against the burn of her tears and the grief and fear she felt choking her. She forced herself to take a deep calming breath and wiped her tears quickly from her eyes. There would be time to mourn the loss of her life-long friendship with the Latina, but right now she had more pressing matters. Like getting Rachel the hell out of here because she had no doubt that Hudson and Karofsky would come here first. She quickly zipped Rachel's suitcase closed and made her voice go stern as she said, "We have to go now."

She was a little shocked when Rachel actually stepped away from her and began insisting that they go to the police. When she started throwing what little she knew of the law around anger surged through the blonde because she was right. Not only was going to the police the right thing to do, but it was also their moral and legal obligation to do so. But all Quinn could think about right now was getting Rachel out of the apartment. In here they were trapped. They needed to move and they didn't have much time and Rachel's insistence that they go to the police right this instant just served to fuel the desperation in Quinn.

"Rachel, you cannot tell anyone what you saw tonight," Quinn hissed angrily. "Don't you understand that? Your life is in danger right now and we need to get out of here, right now."

Quinn couldn't believe it when Rachel actually ripped her hand away and stomped her foot like some petulant toddler. Did she not understand that their lives were at stake here? She apparently just witnessed a murder. Did she think that Russell Fabray was going to just wait around and see if Rachel decided to report what she'd seen? If there was one thing Quinn knew about her father it was that he was a man of action, not of plans. Time was ticking away from them.

Quinn felt instant guilt as she stepped forward angrily and grabbed Rachel's arms firmly in her hands. They'd had arguments before, but she had _never_ been physically forceful with the brunette. As guilty as she felt for grabbing her, she just couldn't stop herself because the fear and desperation were creeping up through her belly and choking her. She could sense their opportunity for escape slipping away and she needed to get Rachel out of there before she truly lost her forever.

She barely recognized her own voice as she practically growled at Rachel. "You are leaving here with me right now if I have to drag you out."

The voice she heard behind her made her blood run cold.

"Aww, are we interrupting a lover's spat?"

Quinn's body stiffened as she felt the door close on their chance of a clean escape. She could see the absolute terror in Rachel's eyes and she steeled herself mentally before slowly turning toward the doorway, being sure to place herself between it and Rachel. She had known before she turned around who it was that had spoken, but the burly hulk of Karofsky and the looming figure of Hudson just behind him still made her heart turn cold with fear.

She had seen the two men occasionally over the last few years as they came and went from her parent's house. They'd never actually met, but she knew their reputation. They were killers. Not out of necessity or because they'd fallen into a profession they didn't understand the consequences of, but because they liked it. They enjoyed inflicting pain. They got off on the fear they invariably evoked in anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves on opposing sides to the duo. And a duo is what they were because they worked as a team.

Neither of them could really be called the brains, but Karofsky was the directing force behind them. He kept them focused on their task, whatever that may be. If David Karofsky was the controlling partner, then Finn Hudson was the rabid dog he kept on a leash. Hudson's dopey smile and blank expression hid his true nature fairly well. Karofsky was a bully, but Hudson was an animal.

Quinn forced her voice to sound nonchalant. "Actually, we were just about to head out for some dinner. Maybe you guys could come back and interrupt us later."

A quick smile flashed across Karofsky's face, but it only made him seem scarier. Quinn's gaze shifted toward the tall form of Hudson as he slowly made his way into the room.

"I'm pretty sure you two already tried to have dinner tonight. Unfortunately, the place is temporarily closed. We're dealing with a bit of a pest problem." Karofsky chuckled lightly at his joke.

Hudson looked at his partner and laughed, "Nice one, Dave." His face twisted into a smile that would have made any girl melt as long as she didn't notice how cold and dead his dark eyes were.

"Thanks, man." Karofsky turned his attention back to the two girls standing beside the bed. "Russell felt bad about you having to change your plans so he sent us to take you out." He smiled again as his eyes sparkled with his intentions. "You know, to dinner," he finished as an afterthought.

Quinn felt Rachel's hands twist in the hem of her shirt as she pressed her trembling body into Quinn's back. She continued to watch Hudson as he prowled the edges of Rachel's room, seemingly more interested in Rachel's decorations and knick knacks than he was in the two young women he'd come to kill.

"That's not necessary," Quinn replied as she continued to play the game, hoping it would buy her some time to formulate some sort of plan.

Karofsky's voice suddenly became more hard than humorous. "I think you know it is."

She knew this conversation was quickly coming to an end, but she tried to drag it out further. "We've already made other plans. My father didn't need to send either of you. He can call me himself if he wants to make plans with me and Rachel."

"You know how Russell feels about accountability. Finn here is the one that left the door unlocked so now he has to be the one to clean up the mess."

"It was an honest mistake," Hudson whined. His features suddenly twisted from the nearly blank look he'd maintained into one of pure rage. "You know what? I'm sick of this game!" he yelled as he grabbed a snow globe from Rachel's shelf and threw it against the wall. The sound of it shattering made Rachel yelp behind Quinn and she felt the brunette bury her head between Quinn's shoulder blades.

"You guys like to play your word games and make it seem like we're just here to take you out to dinner or whatever, but you know that's not why we're here," he said angrily. He breathed heavily through his nose and then a creepy smile split his face. His voice was scarily calm when next he spoke. "Now, I think it's time that I get to play my kind of game."

Quinn shifted her body slightly as she tried to put more distance between Hudson and Rachel. She swallowed hard as she focused on his movements while still keeping her peripheral vision aware of where Karofsky was and what he was doing. Karofsky's next words turned her stomach.

"We can play your game Finn. It's been a while since you didn't have to pay for it, right? Which one do you want?"

She watched a lecherous sneer spread across the giant's face as his eyes moved quickly between her and Rachel. He licked his lips and then nodded toward her girlfriend.

"The brunette. I've got a thing for brunettes. Plus look at the size of her mouth. I bet she could fit all of me in there."

Rachel whimpered quietly behind her and Quinn felt her shirt go damp with tears as the brunette buried her face in her back. Her jaw clenched tightly as every muscle in her body went taut.

"You're not laying a fucking hand on her," she seethed.

Hudson laughed. "Trust me Fabray; it'll be more than my hand I'm fucking her with."

Quinn wanted to fly at him. She wanted to pound him with her fists and scratch his eyes out. But she knew if she attacked first and he was able to defend her blows that his sheer size would severely limit any secondary options. So she maintained her position directly between Rachel and Finn Hudson and she let the anger and adrenaline course through her veins to give her the strength she'd need to strike at the right time.

She didn't have to wait long because Hudson ran his tongue slowly across his teeth and then stepped forward, reaching out to grab her shoulders and push her out of the way. Before he could get a grip on her she copied his movement and stepped into his space. At the same time she drew her hand up in a fast motion and slammed the base of her palm directly into his diaphragm. She watched his eyes bulge and his body slump lower as the wind was effectively knocked from his lungs, but his hands still grappled with her as he tried to get hold of her. She cocked her arm to create a sharp angle and turned her body slightly to get a good shot, knowing that it may be the only shot she'd get, and then with all the force she could muster she crashed her elbow directly into the tall man's temple. He dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes and stayed there, unconscious.

While her focus had been on the imminent threat of Hudson she hadn't forgotten about Karofsky and before Hudson was even settled on the carpet of Rachel's bedroom floor she was moving quickly toward the hulking figure of the wide-eyed man. She felt the slight tug of her shirt as she freed herself from Rachel's grasp and she was grateful that the girl wasn't behind her any longer as she saw the black shape of a gun being pulled from the back of the hit man's waistband.

Her focus shifted to the weapon as she reached him within seconds, her hands instantly grappling with the meaty fist of Karofsky as he tried to pull the gun up. She dug her thumb sharply into a pressure point between his thumb and forefinger.

"Fucking bitch!" he cried out in pain as he tried to pull away and keep his grip on the gun.

Quinn twisted her other hand. She could feel the cold steel between the soft sweaty flesh tugging against her. She heard Rachel scream her name behind her and with all the strength she had she twisted the large man's hand as she tried to get him to loosen his grip. Her hands were suddenly pushed back with force and her ears rang as the gun went off in both their hands.

Quinn watched in horror as Karofsky crumpled to the ground in front of her with a loud moan. She staggered back as her hands automatically reached for Rachel somewhere behind her. Rachel was sobbing and clinging to her and Quinn looked at the injured man as he slumped against the wall, his breath ragged as blood rushed from the hole in his thigh. It wouldn't be fatal and she knew that someone would be calling the police soon because of the gunshot. They needed to get out of there before Hudson woke up.

"Come on Rachel. We have to go."

Quinn didn't get an argument this time as she gripped her girlfriend's hand tightly in her own. Making a snap decision she took her phone from her pocket and tossed it on the bed. Without another look back she tugged Rachel quickly through the doorway and out of her apartment. They practically ran down the hallway and not wanting to wait for the elevator they continued their run down the stairwell. They didn't stop running until they were both seated safely inside a cab on their way to the nearest police station. Quinn sighed heavily as she rested her head against the seat and held a trembling Rachel in her arms. It wasn't the solution she wanted, but at this point it seemed to be the only option left to them.

(***************)

Quinn sighed heavily as she rubbed her tired eyes and then looked at the clock hanging on the wall for what must have been the hundredth time. She groaned loudly and placed her head in her hands at the dials that read 3:15. She quickly did the math in her head. Nearly eight hours. The bag from the sandwich they'd brought her for dinner was in the trash can, but the coffee cup holding what was now lukewarm swill still sat before her. It had been eight hours since she and Rachel had arrived at the police station and as soon as the detectives had figured out what was going on and who she was they had separated the two of them.

A nervous, petite red head with the name Pillsbury etched across her crisp blue uniform had taken her statement and then a few hours later had brought her the aforementioned sandwich. No one had entered the room since then. She had no idea what was happening with Rachel or why they were being held so long. She imagined that part of it was to verify as much as they could about the story the two girls had confessed to and to make sure that each of their accounts matched the others. Part of her also wondered if the length of their stay at the station was to keep her here so that she couldn't warn her father that the police were most likely going to be raiding his home to arrest him, although the idea of that was ridiculous since she had voluntarily walked into the station to give a statement in the first place. Still, the visual she had of the police raiding her parent's home, of how terrified her mother would be, the tears that would most likely be streaming down her face, brought tears to Quinn's eyes and she pressed her palms hard into her eye sockets to try to force the emotions back.

She heard the creak of the door swinging open and looked up as she quickly blinked away the wetness on her lashes. A man of average build walked through the door and quietly closed it behind him. He was impeccably put together from the brilliantly shined black shoes on his feet to the perfectly centered knot of his dark red tie that disappeared into the v of the charcoal grey vest of his three-piece suite. _Lawyer_ she instantly thought as he placed a black briefcase on the grey metal table and unclasped the locks as he took a seat directly across from her. His face twitched in what she could only guess was his attempt at a smile as he pulled a file from inside the briefcase and placed it on the table, his hands running over it as if it were made of Egyptian cotton instead of thick manila paper. His hair was such a dark blonde it could have also been considered a light brown and it was thick and curly. Quinn imagined that if he straightened it the length would have probably reached at least past his ears. As it was, though, he mostly resembled a Chia pet and she had to force herself not to snort in laughter at the image.

"Quinn Fabray." It wasn't actually a question, but the inflection he used made it sound that way so she nodded in response. He opened the folder in front of him and she was mildly shocked to see a picture of herself tacked to the left side of the folder and a thick pile of papers on the right side with a lot of writing covering the pages. The picture was a candid shot of her and she recognized the building she was leaving as the NYU library. She felt a surge of anger flow through her chest at the confirmation that she was under some sort of surveillance even though she had suspected she was simply because of who her father was. "You are the youngest daughter of Russell Fabray?"

She clenched her jaw and turned cold eyes on the man across from her. "Obviously you already know that," she replied, gesturing toward the dossier folder in front of him. He smiled at her and she instantly knew she didn't like nor trust this man. "Who are you?"

"My name is William Schuester. I'm the United States Attorney that will be filing charges against your father for murder and racketeering, among other things. I wanted to thank you personally for bringing Miss Berry in to give her statement and to apologize for the length of time you've been left in here. I'm sorry we couldn't find more comfortable accommodations."

Quinn didn't acknowledge either his thanks or his apology. "Why have I been here so long and when can I see Rachel?"

Schuester glanced toward the mirror briefly and then cleared his throat. "Well, I'm sure you realize that we couldn't just take your word at face value. An investigation had to take place, at least enough to verify the basics of what we were told happened."

Quinn turned and smiled at the mirror. All she could see was her own tired reflection, but she knew there was someone standing behind there right now, watching the exchange going on between her and the US Attorney. Most likely there was also a video being recorded of their conversation.

"I do realize that Mr. Schuester," she replied calmly as she regained eye contact with the man. "I also realize that with the length of time I've been kept in this room with absolutely no information divulged to me nor any follow-up questions asked that your investigation has most likely discerned that the account Miss Berry and I gave is factual. I also realize that the nearly eight hours I've been in this room with no bathroom breaks and one meager sandwich and cup of coffee provided to me has also allowed you enough time to get emergency warrants issued for not only _Confianza_, but also my father's home and publicly listed place of business. That those warrants have most likely been served and that my father, if you moved quickly enough to catch him, has been taken into custody and is currently surrounded by enough lawyers to make you wet your Armani trousers."

Quinn kept her face completely blank as she watched Schuester flinch slightly and then clench his jaw before he gave her another of his fake smiles. He flipped through a few of the pages in front of him and Quinn could see the slight tremor in his hand. _Great. An amateur, _she thought as she allowed herself a small eye roll. "I see you're in the top percentile of your class at NYU Law, Miss Fabray. You're very intelligent. I'm sure your studies and your personal experience with a certain…criminal element has given you a perspective that few in your class would be able to attain."

Quinn let the slight narrowing of her eyes be her only response to the obvious effort to poke at her. She wasn't going to give this man the satisfaction of thinking he'd gotten to her in any way.

"Where's Rachel?" she asked again after a brief silence.

"Miss Berry is safe." He smiled at her again and then folded the dossier closed and placed it in his briefcase as he stood from his chair. "As I said before I wanted to thank you personally for performing your civic duty and bringing Miss Berry in," he said as he locked his case and turned to leave.

Panic flooded through Quinn suddenly. "Wait," she cried out. Schuester paused and raised his eyebrows questioningly at her. "What happens now?"

"You're free to go," he replied and turned again.

"But what about Rachel?" she insisted.

Schuester sighed heavily and turned to her. His tone was condescending. "Miss Berry witnessed a crime. She has been taken into protective custody. You are free to go Miss Fabray."

It hit her like a bucket of ice water. _Rachel_ had witnessed a crime. _She_ hadn't seen a thing. She only vaguely knew what had happened from what little Rachel had managed to tell her. She wasn't a witness. Rachel was. Rachel was in protective custody. Protective custody for the U.S. Government meant Witness Protection. It meant U.S. Marshall's. It meant a different city, a different name. She'd never see Rachel again. She'd lose Rachel. It all clicked into place in a matter of seconds and she didn't really have to spend a lot of time thinking to make her next decision.

"Wait!"

Schuester's hand was on the door knob when he paused and looked at her with exasperation written across his face. "Miss Fabray." His voice was low and he spoke slowly as if to a child. "You will not be called as a witness because you didn't actually witness anything. While we appreciate your minimal assistance in reporting a crime and we apologize for the time you've spent in this extremely uncomfortable room, you are now free to go because you have nothing to offer us in building a case against Russell Fabray."

Quinn stood slowly from the chair she'd spent the last few hours in and steeled her gaze as she stared down the man that stood only a few inches taller than her. Her voice was calm and clear as she spoke.

"You think that I've spent nearly two decades in my father's house and I haven't seen anything that could help you with your case?"

She saw his eyes flicker once again to the mirror and she knew she had their attention.

"I'm listening."

She licked her lips and it was the only visible sign she gave as to how nervous and terrified she was right now.

"I have a condition." Schuester's nod was enough for her to continue. "Rachel and I stay together. We'll testify and we'll go into Witness Protection, but we stay together. If you or anyone else ever does anything to try to separate us, then I walk."

"And how do I know you actually have any information that would be helpful? What assurances are you going to give me that you're not just saying this so you can stay with your girlfriend?" Schuester asked angrily.

Quinn swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. She loved her family. She loved her mother and her sister. She loved her father. And she knew that they loved her. She hated the business her father ran, but it had rarely personally affected her. Except for one time. One moment, three years ago, when she had come home early from a graduation party because she wasn't feeling well and Santana and Brittany were having their own celebration. One moment that had thrust the reality of her father's business into the forefront and had brought her closer to running away from everything than she'd ever been. And now, it was that moment that she would use to destroy her family in order to keep her love safe.

"Tanaka," she breathed out and she knew from the way Schuester's eyes widened at the name that she had her deal. She crumpled back into the chair as he left the room and when he returned moments later with an agreement for her to sign that would basically end her life as she knew it she let the tears fall as her hand automatically swirled her signature for the last time.


	4. Twister

**CHAPTER 4: TWISTER**

She had always been enamored with the idea of _The Wizard of Oz_. It was a wonderful story with great songs and she'd always felt she'd make a great Dorothy. Now she knew exactly how much of a fairy tale that entire movie was because it felt as if a tornado had just ripped its way through her life and she definitely didn't want to go skipping down a brick road, yellow or otherwise. All she wanted to do was to curl up into the smallest, tightest ball she possibly could and cry herself to sleep.

She had spent the last few hours staring listlessly out the tiny oval window of the airplane she was currently sitting in watching the patchwork of the Midwest disappear into the cover of grey clouds. For a brief moment during the flight she'd let herself wonder if her fathers had perhaps seen the streak of grey cloud marring the sky above Lima when they had passed over, not even realizing the plane leaving that dissipating trail carried the daughter they may never see again. A fresh wave of tears had pooled in her eyes and she had forced the thought from her mind. She was thankful now for the clouds below them, the blank expanse hiding their location and destination in a perfect metaphor for her current situation. After all, metaphors are important.

She feels the warmth of Quinn's hand in her own and she knows the blonde knows she's awake now because her thumb is working slow circles against her skin. It feels as if it takes far too much energy to move at all, but she slowly turns her head from the window and lets it loll heavily against the headrest as she turns her brown eyes on concerned hazel. She feels the familiar rush of warmth through her chest at the sight of Quinn and she supposes that's a good sign considering the fog she's been floating through, but it's quickly dampened by the swarm of new truths that are fighting for attention in her mind. When Quinn makes a move as if she's going to close the distance between them Rachel twists her head back and fixes her gaze once again to the uninteresting view the small window affords her. Quinn doesn't release her hand, but Rachel feels the thumb stop circling instantly and Quinn's grip seems to tighten slightly.

It's been forty-eight hours since she walked through those restaurant doors and her life changed forever. Will Schuester had explained to her that her apartment would be packed up by officers and sent to her fathers. As soon as she was safely placed in an unknown city under a different name then her fathers would be informed of the situation so that they wouldn't worry about her or file a missing person report. Her college career at NYU was over. The dreams she'd clung to since she was three years old and winning the Little Miss Lima Tots Beauty Pageant, of seeing her name in lights above a Broadway marquee were dashed forever. Rachel Berry didn't exist anymore except as a witness for the prosecution in The United States Government v. Russell Fabray.

She supposed she should be grateful that at least Quinn got to come with her. When the U.S. Attorney had explained to her that she would need to leave everything about her current life behind in order to protect herself from the Fabray Organization it had terrified her, the thought of being completely alone. She wouldn't be able to have any contact with anyone from her family or any of her friends, not that she had many beyond the superficiality of Facebook, but even those would be lost to her. So when she was taken to the temporary safe house to await placement into what the U.S. Marshal's staying with her had referred to as Wit Sec she had been happily surprised to be joined by Quinn.

She had cried that night and Quinn had held her and rocked her slowly to sleep. She had felt so safe. Now that she'd had some time to let the events of the last two days sink in the information Will Schuester had supplied her with was haunting her mind. Russell Fabray was the head of one of the most powerful organized crime syndicates on the Eastern seaboard. He had his hands in everything imaginable. Guns, drugs, prostitution, gambling, bribery; the list went on. He was not a politician as she had naively assumed, although according to Mr. Schuester he had a few in his pocket, which was part of the reason he'd been so untouchable in the past. He'd been trying to build a case against the crime boss for years and with her eye witness testimony he finally had the break he needed to finally put an end to the reign of terror he'd held over the city. Even she thought he'd been a little overdramatic with that description and she was Rachel Berry.

And now she couldn't look at Quinn without feeling betrayed. The blonde had let her believe that her father was simply an entrepreneur; that he was a self-made man with his hands in many businesses. And while that was, in a sense, true she had failed to mention that the majority of those business ventures were illegal and the few that weren't illegal were used to launder the illegal funds. She knew she hadn't really asked, but isn't that something that should be volunteered? At some point in their nearly year-long relationship Quinn could have taken her aside and explained to her that simply being with the blonde was putting her life in danger. A good girlfriend would have done that.

The seatbelt sign going on pulled her from her thoughts and she heard the pilot explaining that they would be landing shortly. As upset as she was she still felt the loss when Quinn pulled her hand free to buckle her belt and then didn't try to reclaim it once the task was accomplished. Rachel glanced across the aisle at the two U.S. Marshal's that had accompanied them on the flight. It was their job to deliver them safely into the custody of the Marshal's that would be permanently assigned to them. She turned back to the window and realized that at some point during her meandering thoughts the sun had set. She watched as they descended through the cloud cover so that now the floor was a ceiling. Drops of rain splashed against the window pane as lights and the shapes of concrete buildings came into view.

The city sprawled out before them and she could make out the tight grid of surface streets along with the serpentine flow of highways intersecting and looping around. There were blocks of red lights where traffic was obviously backed up interspersed with areas where the red taillights of cars moved quickly like laser pointers across the darkness below. She felt the plane bank, affording her a different view and gasped softly at the sight of bright lights outlining bridges across a dark river. Buildings of every shape and size seemed to rise up out of the ground and for a moment her heart ached for New York City because even though the view was beautiful, the buildings weren't as tall and the expanse not as big and it just wasn't her dream. As she felt the wheels hit the tarmac and her body naturally strained slightly against the seatbelt from the impact and inertia she gave a heavy sigh because whether she liked it or not, as long as she wanted to remain alive this would have to be her life. She unbuckled her seatbelt and received a soft smile when she reached for Quinn's hand as the flight attendant welcomed them all to Portland, Oregon.

(******************************)

Rachel was starting to think that the inside of all government buildings looked the same. They're on the fourth floor in some kind of conference room with large windows that she knows from their approach to the building are completely dark to those standing outside. Rain drops still splatter against the glass and run in rivulets to eventually pool on the sidewalk below where she can see people hurrying, most with umbrellas, but a few are simply wearing raincoats. She wonders if they weren't expecting the current weather or if they're just so accustomed to the rain that it doesn't bother them anymore. She's heard it rains a lot in Portland.

"Rachel."

She turns from the window at Quinn's soft voice calling her name and sees her girlfriend placing a small paper cup with steam gently rising from the black liquid surface of its contents in front of the chair Rachel had been occupying since they'd first arrived. Quinn pulls the chair out for her and she feels her hand gently brush across her shoulders as she moves to sit beside her. They sit in silence as they sip slowly at the hot coffee. Rachel wonders how much longer this is all going to take. She's not sure of the time, but she knows it's late. Well past nine o'clock at night and she wonders where they're going to sleep for the night. As if she can read her thoughts Quinn speaks softly next to her.

"I'm sure this won't take much longer. They'll probably just put us in a hotel with a guard for the night or something and then we'll get set up more permanently tomorrow."

Rachel turns slightly and stares for a moment at Quinn's profile. She watches her lips gently wrap around the edge of the paper cup and the muscles in her neck slowly work up and down as she swallows. She truly is stunningly beautiful and before she can stop herself Rachel is reaching out and gently pushing a lock of long blonde hair behind her ear. Quinn turns to face her with a heartbreaking smile and Rachel suddenly realizes it's one of the few times she's voluntarily touched her girlfriend since she found out the truth about her family. At the reminder of why they're even here in the first place Rachel pulls back and then another thought enters her head.

"If no one's supposed to know where we are then why would we need a guard tonight?"

"You won't need a guard tonight."

Rachel and Quinn's heads simultaneously snapped toward the two men now entering the room. The first man, the one that had spoken, was obviously of Asian ancestry. He was tall and thin and moved with a grace and power that actually reminded Rachel of Brittany which caused a stab of pain in her heart. She would truly miss her friend. He wore a loose fitting black suit with a white button up and a skinny black tie and she imagined that his short black hair was usually kept slicked back, but currently it hung slightly in his eyes as evidence of the late hour and the long day he had no doubt already put in. His partner was a slightly shorter, well-built African American man dressed in a dark grey suit with closely cropped dark hair and kind eyes. In fact, Rachel felt instantly safe with both of them and she visibly relaxed in her chair.

Both men took seats directly across from them and the Asian man smiled kindly. "Miss Berry," he acknowledged Rachel with a nod and then turned to Quinn, "Miss Fabray. I'm sure you're both very tired and would like to get settled as soon as possible. Unfortunately, due to the late hour of your arrival taking you to your new home isn't going to be prudent until the morning. We've arranged for a room for you both at a nearby hotel for the evening and we'll be by first thing in the morning to get you acquainted with your new accommodations."

"And would you mind telling us who you are?" Quinn asked quietly, but Rachel could hear the frustration in her voice. She was just as tired as Rachel was.

The man smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry. That was rude of me. I'm U.S. Marshal Mike Chang and this is my partner Matt Rutherford. Strictly speaking you two are under my care, but if I'm ever unavailable then Marshal Rutherford will be able to assist you."

Rachel tried to return his kind smile, but she just couldn't seem to find any more energy. She gazed back into her coffee as if it held all the answers, but looked up when she heard Marshal Chang clear his throat.

"I understand that you've both already signed the appropriate paperwork involved in entering the Witness Protection Program, but I just want to go over a couple things to make certain you understand. Okay?" He waited for each of the women to nod their assent before proceeding.

"These are your new cell phones," he said as he slid them across the table to each of the women. "They are pre-programmed with contact numbers for me and Marshal Rutherford. They are also equipped with GPS and a panic button that will receive an immediate emergency response from the U.S. Marshal Service. Tomorrow morning you will also be issued new identities complete with authentic documentation. To make things easier to remember you will keep your own first name, only your middle and last name will be changed. Your housing and medical will be provided for and a small subsistence amount will be allocated to you as well until you are able to provide a reasonable income for yourselves. If you need assistance obtaining employment then I will be glad to provide that." He paused and made eye contact with each woman, verifying that they understood what he had explained so far.

"Quinn is my middle name, but I'd like to keep it as my first. Will that be possible?" Rachel smiled softly. She liked Quinn's name and sincerely hoped they let her keep it.

Marshal Chang smiled. "That will actually work out really well. Now, as far as the rules go," he took a deep breath and the smile disappeared from his face as his eyes grew extremely serious. "We are here to protect you from those who would harm you to keep you from testifying against them. In the entire history of the United States Marshal Service we have not lost a single witness to those trying to do them harm as long as they followed the rules of the program. You must have absolutely no contact with anyone from your former life. One phone call, one text, one comment on Facebook has the possibility of revealing your location to those who are hunting you. And trust me, ladies, they are hunting you. They will wait and watch your loved ones and former associates for as long as it takes in hopes of catching that one moment when you break and call to wish your father or aunt or best friend from high school a happy birthday. As difficult as it is, you both need to realize that the lives you formerly led are over."

Rachel bit her bottom lip and lowered her eyes back to her coffee in an effort to keep the young Marshal from seeing the tears in her eyes.

"I'm not trying to be heartless. I know this is difficult. But my job is to keep you both alive and unharmed. A bit of advice," he said as he reached across the table and placed warm fingertips gently against Rachel's shaking hand, "those who fair best in the program are those who choose to embrace it. As painful as it is leaving your loved ones behind, it's also an opportunity for a fresh start. Immerse yourself in your new community. Make new friends. Find work you enjoy. Now I understand you were both in college. If you want to continue with that then we can look into some courses at the local colleges around here, however, because it's something that identifies who you used to be you will not be allowed to study the same things. Miss Fabray, any classes you decide to take or employment you find cannot involve the law and Miss Berry, especially since your voice is so distinctive, you may not work as a singer or actress, even if you think it's just a local pub or a local band. I think we're all far enough into the internet and Facebook age to realize that _everything_ ends up online. I believe it goes without saying that you should both avoid anything that would put you in the spotlight, on camera, or in newspapers of any kind."

Rachel couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her face at his words. No singing, no Broadway, no applause, no fathers, no family. No life. Not one she'd dreamed of any way. Not one she'd worked so hard to attain. Not one she'd suffered for. She buried her face in her hands as her body shook with quiet sobs. She heard Quinn's voice next to her and felt a wave of relief that at least she had one constant in her life. At least they'd let her keep Quinn although she still had no idea why.

"I think that's enough for tonight. Don't you, Marshal?"

"Of course," Marshal Chang said as he rose from his chair, the silent Marshal Rutherford mimicking his movements. "We'll take you to the hotel and then I'll be around to get you both in the morning. Will nine be okay?"

Rachel just assumed Quinn said that it was fine because the next thing she knew she felt familiar arms wrap around her and help her from her seat. She finally gained control of herself enough to stop crying by the time the elevator reached the parking garage. But she remained despondent during the short ride to the hotel, through the entire check-in process, and up to the point when the Marshal's left them in their room for the night.

She was still standing in the middle of the room staring dazedly around after Quinn had leaned heavily against the door to be certain it was latched and then engaged every single lock available and turned around to face her. They stood in the quiet of the room for a long moment, just staring at each other. Rachel watched Quinn intently as she licked her lips nervously and then stepped forward.

"Rachel."

"I'm going to take a shower," Rachel interrupted and then turned and fled to the safety of the bathroom before she could hear anything the blonde was about to say or see the way her face just crumpled at Rachel's rejection.

She just wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to have the conversation that she knew they needed to have. It was all too much. And it wasn't just witnessing the murder or finding out that the woman she was in love with had not been entirely truthful about who she was or the fact that she may never see her fathers again or that the life she'd pictured for herself at NYU was over or the fact that the dream she'd worked so hard for all of her life would remain just that, a dream. It wasn't _just_ any of these things. It was all of them. She was overwhelmed with it all and she still hadn't processed all that had happened.

Rachel set the temperature to as hot as her body could tolerate and then just stood under the nearly scalding stream of water for as long as she could. She was in there so long that her skin turned bright pink and the water began to cool. When she finally emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her wet hair and a warm robe around her body she felt refreshed, but still very numb. Quinn was lying on top of the comforter with her back propped against the headboard watching a local news station. Rachel's chest ached with the hurt she saw in those hazel eyes, but she was thankful when Quinn didn't try to talk to her again.

She saw the blonde quietly rise from the bed and make her way to the bathroom out of the corner of her eye as she rifled through her small carry-on to search for the sleep top and shorts that had been purchased for her on her first day in custody as interim apparel. She felt slightly guilty for taking such a long shower and hoped that there would at least be enough hot water for Quinn. Rachel got dressed quickly and combed out her still damp hair before sliding under the covers of the surprisingly comfortable bed. She watched the news program Quinn had left on without actually taking in any of the information until she heard the shower turn off. Then she slid down onto the pillow, turned so that she was facing outward and closed her eyes in the hope that Quinn would think she was asleep.

The next thing Rachel was aware of was Quinn's strong arms wrapped around her as she struggled against her, gasping for breath as tears choked her. She could hear Quinn's calm voice trying to soothe her and realized it was another nightmare. She stopped fighting, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"Rachel, honey, you're okay now. It was just a nightmare. I've got you sweetheart. I won't let anyone hurt you. I've got you. I've got you."

It had been Quinn's mantra from the first night Rachel had tried to sleep after the incident at the restaurant and then later at her apartment. Quinn had tried to get her to talk about them hoping that it might help, but it was too soon to talk about any of it and Rachel was fairly certain she would be having nightmares for a while considering what she'd been witness to. Besides she couldn't exactly remember what happened in them. She'd really only had three or four. The first time she'd slept she'd ended up waking up a couple times from them. All she could truly remember were the feelings attached to them; the absolute terror that tore through her body and made her heart pound so hard in her chest. There were images attached to the fear, but they were abstract and the more she focused on trying to see them the further they slipped from her consciousness.

Rachel turned in Quinn's arms and buried her head against her chest as she clung tightly to the woman beside her. Even after she'd finally gained control of herself and had stopped crying she didn't move away from the comfort of the embrace. Finally, in the darkness of the hotel room she found the courage to give voice to some of her fears.

"Do you think we're really safe here?" she murmured softly against Quinn's t-shirt.

Quinn was quiet for a moment before she finally replied softly, "I think we're as safe as we're going to be anywhere right now. As long as we follow the rules and do what we need to in order to keep ourselves protected then I think we'll be okay."

Rachel was quiet for another moment as she focused on the feel of Quinn's chest evenly rising and falling beneath her head. "What about those two men?"

"What about them?" Quinn asked quietly. Rachel could feel soft lips move against her hairline.

"They were there. At the restaurant, I mean. And then they found my apartment so quickly, after, you know, what happened and then the police didn't find anything except some blood at my apartment. How do we know they won't find us here?"

Quinn sighed heavily against Rachel's hair and tightened her hold on her as she pulled her closer. "Rachel, sweetheart, I don't want you worrying about those two. They don't know where we are. The only reason they found us so quickly before is because Russell knew that we'd go to your apartment first. Plus, now Karofsky's injured and he's not going to be getting around very easily for a while."

"But what about later? What about when he's healed?" Rachel felt the panic rising in her chest at the thought of the beady eyed brute.

Rachel felt Quinn's arms loosen their grip and then she was pushing Rachel's body against the mattress with her own as her hands reached up and cupped Rachel's face as she forced the brunette to hold her gaze. "Rachel, I swear to you I will never let anyone hurt you. Karofsky, Hudson, my father and whoever he sends after us, it doesn't matter because I will die before I let them touch you. I'll die Rachel," she chokes out before her lips crash down against Rachel's.

Rachel's hands instantly clutched at Quinn's hips as they pushed against her. A small cry escaped her as she opened her mouth to accept Quinn's forceful tongue as she swept it into her mouth. The kiss was brutal, and possessive, and desperate and Rachel whimpered with arousal below Quinn as the blonde continued to press forcefully into her.

"Quinn," she gasped breathlessly when the blonde finally pulled away for a moment. Quinn looked surprised when Rachel pushed against her shoulders, but then Rachel's hands were pulling frantically at the hem of her t-shirt. Quinn lifted her arms as Rachel pulled the shirt over her head and then attacked Quinn's mouth before she could actually free it from her arms. Rachel bit down on Quinn's bottom lip as she felt the woman struggle to release her arms. There was a loud moan and then Quinn's hands were pulling at Rachel's top. They parted for the few seconds it took to free each other of the remainder of their clothes and then Rachel felt Quinn's fingers wrap around the back of her knees as they were pulled out from under her and she flopped hard back onto the bed.

Rachel gasped loudly as her hips canted forward at the feel of Quinn's tongue slowly dragging up the inside of her left thigh. "Oh my God, Quinn, please," she begged even as Quinn nibbled gently on her thigh and then without any more preamble she dragged her tongue along Rachel's folds. Rachel's hands flew to Quinn's head as she tangled her fingers through the long blonde hair below her. She didn't even try to keep her hips still as she moved desperately against Quinn's mouth that was currently doing delicious things to her.

Her hips bucked up violently as Quinn sucked her clit between her lips and then flicked it with her tongue. "Ah, baby," Rachel cried out as her hands clenched hard on the blonde strands weaving through her fingers. "Quinn I need you," she said with a raspy cry as she tugged gently on the golden locks. Rachel let her fingernails slowly drag across Quinn's body as she crawled up and reclaimed her mouth. She felt a fresh wave of arousal rush through her as she tasted herself on Quinn's tongue.

She opened her legs to allow Quinn's pressing fingers to slip inside her as she reached down and grabbed her ass and pulled her hard down onto her thigh. She was warm and slick and Rachel moaned gutturally into Quinn's mouth at the feel of her working herself against Rachel even as her fingers pumped furiously in and out of her. It wasn't long before Rachel was clenching hard around Quinn's fingers and the blonde went rigid against Rachel's thigh as she came. Rachel felt Quinn roll off of her enough not to crush her and then her arms were pulling a sweaty Rachel against her own sweaty body as they tried to catch their breath and calm their racing hearts.

Rachel felt suddenly so heavy she could hardly move so she just snuggled into Quinn and closed her eyes. She could feel Quinn's fingers slowly threading through her hair as her lips ghosted against Rachel's cheek and then her lips. "I love you, Rachel. So much," she heard Quinn whisper softly before pressing her lips to her in a gentle kiss.

"You, too," Rachel mumbled softly as she felt sleep tugging at the edges of her mind.

(*************************)

It turns out that their new house isn't actually in Portland. It's in a suburb about twenty minutes west of Portland called Beaverton. Honestly, the way all of the houses and businesses merge together it's nearly impossible to tell where one city ends and another begins so it makes no difference to Rachel. The drive there is relatively quiet and Rachel spends most of her time watching the passing scenery flit past her window. When they take a few side streets and finally pull up to a beige colored attached townhouse with a newer model silver four-door Toyota Camry parked in the driveway Rachel takes a deep breath and looks around the neighborhood. It's quiet right now and she assumes that's because it's after nine a.m. on a weekday and most people are either at work or school. She sees a stand-alone basketball hoop that's lowered to just a few feet from the ground in the driveway a few houses down and across the street and she wonders how small the child is that lives there.

Without a word she and Quinn follow Marshal Chang into the house as he shows them around as if he's the real estate agent. The door opens up to a hallway with a small foyer to the left with two doors – one opens up to a half bathroom and the other to a small pantry. There's another door on the left side of the hallway that's actually a good sized closet and then there's a staircase that leads up to a laundry room, a full bathroom, two small bedrooms and a master bedroom with walk-in closet and en suite bathroom. Just past the stairs is the kitchen on the left. It's not small, but it's not large either. A standing bar separates it from the open dining area and living room. There's a gas fireplace in the far right corner of the living room with a large mantle that currently holds a television. There's a large window that looks out onto a small enclosed backyard that has been completely paved with grey slate paver stones. Rachel wishes for a moment that there was grass, but then she realizes there's no gate in the back so it makes sense that there's no grass because the only way to get a lawn mower back there would be to bring it through the living room.

She walks over to the sliding glass door and pulls back the vertical blinds to let more light in. The sky was a bright blue with intermittent puffy white clouds skittering across. It hadn't been out long enough to dry up all the evidence of the previous night's rain so there were still a couple small pools of water resting on dark grey stones. She turned her head at the sound of her name being called.

"Rachel, would you mind joining us?"

Marshal Chang was sitting in one of the ugliest chairs Rachel had ever seen. While it looked comfortable, the fabric was a dark green with bits of maroon threaded throughout. Maybe it would work for Christmas, but not year round. She moved into the living room and sat down on the small dark brown sofa with Quinn.

"Who picked out this furniture?" she asked as she ran her fingers over the threadbare cushion.

Marshal Chang smiled. "I know it's not the most fashionable. Mostly it's made up of odds and ends that have either been confiscated in police raids or picked up at thrift stores. The only new furniture in here is your bed because we didn't want you to have a used mattress."

Rachel let out a small huff of approval. "Well, that's appreciated, Marshal."

"Please call me Mike. No one can know that I'm a U.S. Marshal. That would compromise your identities as well. Which, by the way, I have," he said as he opened a folder he'd been carrying and handed them each a packet. "As I stated last night, the house is provided for you by the government. The car in the driveway is yours as well, here are the keys. There's information in there regarding a joint bank account that has been set up for you under your new names and how much will be deposited into that account each month. You should feel free to redecorate the house any way you wish, replace the furniture, and make any improvements, whatever."

Rachel remained silent as she looked down at the birth certificate, social security card, and driver's license she'd found in her packet of information. Eventually, Quinn cleared her throat and spoke.

"Thank you, Mike. I think we're both going to need some time to get acclimated to all of this. It's been a very crazy few days and a lot has happened. Can we call you in a day or two if we have any questions or concerns about what may be expected of us?"

"Of course," Mike smiled at them as he stood from the chair. "Listen, I know this is difficult, but just remember that you're doing the right thing and as soon as you testify it will all be over and you can hopefully return to your lives."

Rachel stood and followed Quinn as they walked Mike to the door. The Marshal stopped before it was opened and turned back to them.

"One more thing before I go. Just remember not to contact any of your previous associates and also, no one should be contacting you. If anyone except for me or Marshal Rutherford contacts you then I need to know about it immediately. Understood?"

Both women nodded and the man smiled again.

"Alright," he breathed out, "well, Quinn Lawson," he reached out to shake Quinn's hand and then extended his hand to Rachel, "Rachel Walker, it's a pleasure meeting you both. Please don't hesitate to call."

They stood at the doorway and watched him get into his car and leave. Then Quinn closed and locked the door, engaging the deadbolt as well. Rachel let her breath out slowly before turning and walking back into the living room. She didn't like the idea of sitting on any of the furniture after knowing where it came from and not knowing what kind of sanitary measures had been taken, but since she'd already exposed herself by sitting on the couch she went ahead and sat down there again. From where she sat she could see Quinn in her peripheral vision leaning against the bar that separated the kitchen and dining room, but she didn't say anything as she once again pulled her packet of information out and began looking through it.

"This is real, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel."

Rachel looked up and she could see the guilt and tears in Quinn's eyes. She wasn't sure exactly which part of all of this Quinn was apologizing for, but it didn't really matter. She still wasn't ready to talk about the details. She knew she should. There were so many questions she had, but at this moment she was too afraid of the answers. So she took a deep breath and forced it out as she also tried to force out all of the conflicting emotions that were currently warring inside of her.

"We should make a list," she said suddenly as she rose from her seat. She purposefully ignored Quinn's confused look and just barreled forward with her current diversion. "Mike said that we should make this place ours, right? So we should go through the house and make a list of things we want to change. My first vote right now is the living room furniture because it's absolutely atrocious. We'll also need to see about groceries. I'm sure there are some local grocer's that sell vegan friendly items. Quinn, why don't you use your phone to Google that while I start a list of improvements we can make?"

As she walked by Quinn on her way to look at the upstairs rooms she felt warm fingers wrap around her forearm and she stopped at their insistence. Quinn's eyes were full of concern and her brow was furrowed as she looked at her. It made Rachel's stomach twist and she felt sick.

"Rachel, don't you think we should talk? We haven't had a real conversation about any of this yet and I know you must have questions. I know you're upset with me."

Rachel forced herself to shake her head and swallowed past the lump in her throat. Yes, she had questions. Yes, she was upset with Quinn. No, she was not ready to have this conversation.

"We should talk," she finally said, "but not now. Now we should make sure that we have the necessities we need to make this place feel a little more like home. That's what Mike said, right? That if we want to make this work then we need to immerse ourselves in this new life as soon as possible. That's what I want to do right now. Okay, Quinn? Please, let's just do that right now. We can talk later."

She only waited long enough to see the slight nod of affirmation from Quinn before she was hurrying upstairs and burying herself in the task at hand. As the list of things she wanted to do began to pile up on her phone she realized it was the most normal she'd felt in three days.


	5. BLURT!

**A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for their interest in this story. All of your alerts, favorites, and especially comments are greatly appreciated.**

**CHAPTER 5: BLURT!**

Quinn knew she should have forced Rachel to talk to her right away. She knew that the longer they waited to have what they both knew was a necessary conversation, the harder it would be to have it and the worse the outcome would be. The problem was that as much as Quinn knew they needed to talk, she really didn't want to just as much as Rachel didn't. And so she let her deflect and she let small diversions sidetrack them and when she tried to force the subject she let Rachel have her excuses. She let things get to their current point and she knew it was her fault. It was really all her fault.

In the two weeks that had passed since they arrived in Portland they had only had to contact Mike a couple of times. The rules were fairly basic. Number 1: Don't tell anyone who you really are. Number 2: Don't contact anyone who knows who you really are.

Rachel wanted to focus on getting settled and making their house feel more like a home. They had purchased paint and spent four days painting almost every room in the house. Because the main floor was a dark hardwood, excepting the kitchen which was steel blue tile, Rachel had chosen a light grey that bordered on the blue side for the living and dining room. She had then furnished the living room with a comfortable oversized sofa and chair set that were a light charcoal color and then added splashes of golden yellows, deep reds, and blues with throw pillows and a large area rug. She had picked out barstools and a new dining set, but they were waiting on those until they had more funds because they'd also needed to replenish their own wardrobes since they'd had to leave everything behind. She purchased towels and sheets and decorated their room in soft greens. And Quinn helped. She went to all of the stores with Rachel and gave her opinion when asked.

She tried to pretend she didn't see the moments. Those little moments when Rachel would stare too long at something and then her eyes would well with tears and she'd bite her bottom lip. It was only a moment, and then Rachel would take a little breath and Quinn would watch as whatever it was the brunette was thinking would be pushed back down to be ignored or forgotten.

She could feel Rachel pulling away from her. It was most obvious in the conversations they did engage in. Rachel didn't share her feelings anymore. She didn't share her goals unless it was to find the right kind of vase to go above the mantel. The important things were avoided. They also hadn't made love since that night in the hotel. Although, that night had been more straight-up sex than making love and Quinn regretted it. At the time she'd needed Rachel and she could feel that Rachel needed her, but what they'd needed was comfort and security; to rebuild the trust that had been damaged. They didn't need a frenzied fuck, no matter how good it had felt at the time.

Rachel's nightmares were still happening on a fairly frequent basis and Quinn hated that she was actually a tiny bit grateful for them because it was the only time that Rachel would willingly embrace her. She sighed heavily as she finished folding the laundry she'd been working on and then put the few piles of clothes away. Rachel was downstairs making a grocery list. They were planning a trip to New Seasons and Trader Joe's and then Rachel had mentioned that she wanted to look at some window treatments later if they were feeling like it.

Quinn padded softly down the stairs and paused just around the corner of the hallway that led into the living room. Rachel was sitting on the couch with her feet pulled up underneath her and their laptop open on her lap. Realizing that Rachel hadn't heard her coming down the stairs Quinn took the moment to appreciate her girlfriend unobserved. Then she noticed what Rachel was looking at on the laptop and her entire body froze.

"What are you doing?"

Rachel startled and slammed the laptop closed as she unfurled her feet. Quinn didn't mean for her voice to sound so harsh, but she was honestly upset at what she'd caught Rachel doing.

"N-nothing," Rachel stuttered and Quinn raised her eyebrow as she walked completely into the room. She grabbed the laptop from the couch and opened it back up as she moved to place it on the bar.

"Quinn! What are you doing? That's personal. You have no right!" Rachel yelled frantically as she moved to try to grab the computer back from the blonde.

Quinn brushed Rachel's hands away easily and then just gave her a look that completely stilled the brunette. Rachel's entire body stiffened and her eyes blazed with anger as her chest heaved in heavy, angry breaths. Quinn entered the password and her breath caught when the web page Rachel had been viewing appeared in front of her. Quinn took a shaky breath to try to calm herself as she moved the cursor up and closed out of Leroy and Hiram Berry's Facebook page.

"Please tell me you at least didn't go in through your old account," she said lowly as she closed the laptop and turned to Rachel. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"And people say I'm dramatic," Rachel huffed angrily. "No, I didn't. I opened a new account and I wasn't doing anything, Quinn. I didn't post anything. I didn't send an e-mail. There was no contact. I was just looking. I don't have any pictures and I miss my fathers. Okay?"

"No, not okay, Rachel," Quinn replied. The fear she felt at the thought that Rachel could inadvertently give away their location fed her anger and she knew she was close to snapping. "Do you think this is some kind of game? You saw firsthand what my father is capable of. Do you think he'll hesitate for even a moment to put a bullet in either of us if he gets the slightest opportunity? He has resources you can't even imagine Rachel and right now he's using every single one at his disposal to find us. And don't forget about Karofsky and Hudson because they certainly haven't forgotten about us. We made fools of them and Russell won't let them forget it until they redeem themselves. Trust me when I say that if they find us we'll be begging for Russell to finish us off."

"I'm not a child!" Rachel spat back angrily. "You can't tell me what to do and you can't stop me from looking at a few pictures. I wasn't hurting anyone and I'm not going to do anything that's against the rules. I just needed to see them. I miss them and I didn't even get to say goodbye or tell them that I love them."

"Neither did I, Rachel, but you don't see me tempting myself by trolling through my loved ones Facebook pages."

"And why would you?" Rachel practically screamed at her. "You can see your loved ones on the front page of nearly every single major newspaper in the country!"

Quinn's back went rigid at the obvious dig. "Oh, are we finally going to talk about this now?"

"I don't know, Quinn. Do you really want to talk about the fact that you refer to the two thugs who threatened to rape and murder me by their _names_? As if they were your schoolyard buddies? Or the fact that your best friend stood by and watched your _father _kill a police officer and did absolutely nothing to try to stop him? Do you really want to discuss the fact that we've been together for a year, I've met your parents, I was planning on introducing you to mine, and yet you never told me that your father might as well be the fucking Godfather? I didn't think you'd want to discuss the lie you've perpetrated on the foundation of our relationship."

Quinn felt angry tears clawing at the back of her eyes, but she held them back by sheer will.

"I don't know what else you want me to call them except their names and what exactly did you expect Santana to do, huh? Jump in front of the bullet? You don't know shit about my family or my father and, yeah, that's my fault, but in the end he doesn't have anything to do with us; with how we feel about each other. If you think everything we've built is based on a lie then what the fuck am I even doing here?" She breathed in sharply at the hurt she felt at saying those words and then hissed out angrily, "I gave up _everything _for you."

Rachel yelled back, "And I lost everything because of you!"

The words land like a blow and Quinn actually takes a step back. Rachel gasps and her hands fly to cover her mouth, belatedly, as instantly wet brown eyes look guiltily at Quinn. Without another word Quinn grabs her keys and billfold off the counter and walks quickly down the hallway.

"Quinn, please," she hears Rachel cry brokenly, but whatever else the brunette was going to say is cut off as she slams the door behind her. She briefly considers taking the car, but she doesn't want to leave Rachel without transportation in case of an emergency. Besides she doesn't think she's in any shape to drive safely right now.

So she walks. And she keeps walking. An hour later she finds herself at a small park across from the public library and she sits down on a bench and pulls her phone from her pocket. It's been vibrating almost constantly for the last hour and she really doesn't want to answer it, but she's worried that some of the calls may be from Mike and she doesn't want him mounting some kind of search and rescue operation because he hasn't been able to contact her. She scrolls quickly through the numbers and sees that they're all from Rachel so she clears the call log and pockets the phone.

She keeps replaying the argument in her mind, trying to find the moment when it took a turn for the worse. She should have reined in her anger at Rachel's apparent disregard for her own safety. She should have stayed calm and shown Rachel that she understood the need to see her fathers; that she knows what it is to miss people you love dearly. Instead she let her fear feed her anger and she goaded Rachel into finally saying all the things she'd been holding back for so long.

Quinn's shoulders began to shake as the tears finally broke loose and swept down her face. She lowered her head into her hands and let herself cry. She cried for her mother and sister; torn between love and obligation, she had no doubt they would choose her father. She cried for Santana and Brittany, her oldest and closest friends, now caught in the middle. She would never blame Santana for choosing Russell over Quinn because she knew that it wasn't about them, it was about keeping Brittany safe and that…well, that Quinn understood. Mostly, though, she cried for Rachel. Her ruined dreams and wrecked family. She cried for the relationship she thought she had with the brunette. She cried for the assumptions and choices she made that had led them both to this point.

Her phone vibrated and she wiped the tears from her eyes and hiccupped as she tried to calm herself down when she saw Mike's name on the caller id. "Hello," she said stiltedly when she was finally able to answer.

"_Quinn. Rachel just called me. She said she's been trying to call you for over an hour and you hadn't answered. She wanted me to track you on the GPS, but I thought I'd try you first. If you're in a situation just say "You have the wrong number" and hang up and I'll begin tracking you._"

Quinn chuckled softly. As hurt as she was she still found Rachel's antics endearing. "I'm fine, Mike. Rachel and I had an argument. I went for a walk. She's just being Rachel." She could hear the sigh of relief on the other end and felt a wave of gratitude and appreciation for the Marshal. She'd only known him for a couple weeks, but she'd instantly liked him and was growing to trust him.

"_Okay, well, um, is there anything I can do to help?_"

"I'm not ready to go back yet," Quinn sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "You could call her back and tell her you spoke to me and that I'm fine. Tell her not to worry; that when I'm ready I'll come back."

"_Alright. Well, listen, Quinn. If you need anything, you give me a call, alright? I'll call Rachel back and assure her that you're alive and well. Just, be sure not to keep her worried for too long because you know as well as I do she's not really going to take my word for it._"

Quinn remained sitting on the bench for a while after disconnecting the call. From her vantage point she was able to see the front doors of the Beaverton Public Library and she watched as people of all ages entered and exited. When she noticed that it was before noon on a weekday and there were teenagers and elementary aged children with parents entering the library she realized that school must have let out for the summer. For as long as she could remember her entire academic focus had been about studying law. She was going to be a lawyer. It suddenly dawned on her that Rachel wasn't the only one currently feeling adrift. What would she do now? What would either of them do now that they had to find new purpose in their lives; now that they had to figure out who they were in this new life they were being forced to create?

(*********************)

The shine of the porch light made it possible for her to easily slip her key into the lock of the door. She tried to be quiet as she unlocked and opened the door, but there was no avoiding the grating of metal against metal as she slid the key in and turned, nor the squeak that was released as the hinges moved to swing the door open. She made a mental note to get some WD-40 and grease the door in the morning, but right now she was exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. It was late and she felt slightly guilty for being gone all day, but the calls from Rachel had stopped after Mike's and so she figured the girl had taken the hint that she was safe and she just needed some space.

There was light coming from the living room and Quinn heard a quick shuffling sound as she closed and locked the door behind her. When Rachel appeared from around the corner with disheveled hair and bloodshot, puffy eyes Quinn felt another wave of guilt crash over her and she wondered if she'd ever be free of that feeling again.

"You came back," Rachel said quietly. She moved toward Quinn as if she wanted to close the distance between them, but then stopped herself and stood nervously at the end of the hall.

"Of course I came back. This is still my home isn't it?" Quinn winced inwardly at the harshness of her own words. She really didn't want to fight with Rachel and she definitely wasn't in the frame of mind to talk about anything serious.

Rachel blinked quickly and Quinn knew she was trying not to cry. "Of course it's your home, Quinn. I just…it's so late," she trailed off.

Quinn just shrugged in response. What Rachel had said had deeply hurt her and as much as she just wanted to get over it, she couldn't. Not yet anyway. In addition to the hurt she was feeling she was also angry with herself for letting things get to this point by not forcing Rachel to talk about her feelings and their situation.

"I didn't mean it."

"Don't," Quinn said sharply as she fixed her gaze on the brunette. "I think we've had enough lying, don't you? You may be sorry that you said it, but we both know that you meant it."

"I don't know what you want me to say. What do I say to make this better?"

Quinn sighed and rubbed her hands across her face quickly.

"Nothing, Rachel. You say nothing right now because it's late and we're both tired and I really don't have the energy to have the kind of conversation this is going to require. We sleep on it and tomorrow we'll talk about what's going on here, okay?"

Rachel bit her lip, but then she nodded her agreement. "Are you hungry? Did you eat?" she asked worriedly as Quinn started to make her way to the stairs.

"I ate," Quinn replied shortly as she made her way slowly up the stairs with Rachel following quietly behind her. She grabbed some sleepwear and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her to gain some privacy as she prepared for bed. Normally she wouldn't have even used the bathroom to change, but she just needed some separation from the rawness of knowing how much Rachel must hate her. When she emerged from the bathroom Rachel had already changed into her pajamas and was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the bed. Her brown eyes tracked Quinn's movements as she placed her dirty clothes in the hamper.

"Where are you going?" Rachel asked as Quinn headed for the door.

She hesitated and shot Rachel a quick glance before motioning toward the hallway. "I just…I thought I'd go make up the couch for the night." She wasn't trying to punish Rachel for anything. She just didn't think that Rachel would want to share a bed with the woman she blamed for losing everything that mattered to her. From the broken look on Rachel's face she guessed she may have been wrong about that.

Rachel shook her head and scrambled off the bed to stand in front of Quinn. There were tears pooling in her eyes and she wrung her hands together quickly. "Please don't," she begged quietly. After a shaky breath she continued.

"Okay. I know that you don't want to talk about this right now because you're tired, but we have to clear at least some of this up right now. Ugh," she breathed out harshly as she shook her hands out and then began pacing a small path back and forth in front of the bed, "yes, I'm upset with you. You should have told me the truth about your family, Quinn. You let me believe he was simply a very successful businessman and while normally that would be enough information about my girlfriend's father to suffice, this obviously isn't a normal situation. You withheld pertinent information. It's like, if you were the President's daughter then I would need to know that because as much as you aren't actually the President you're close enough for the responsibilities and consequences of that position to bleed into your life. And because I'm in your life it, for lack of a better term, bleeds into my life as well."

Quinn remains silent. Rachel's right. She should have told her. It had been her responsibility and she shouldn't have left that to Rachel's friends or schoolmates. She should have made certain that her girlfriend understood the consequences of being with her. But there's not much she can do about it now and she's not sure what she can do to make it better for Rachel. They've already lost everything, anyway.

"As upset as I am with you, though, I'm also upset with myself. I didn't dig deeper. I didn't ask, even though I had questions. I just pushed them aside and so I too am partially to blame. But mostly I'm to blame because I opened that restaurant door even though I saw the closed sign. Even though most of my instincts were telling me that something wasn't right, I went against them. And so I'm angry at myself as well." Rachel stopped pacing and looked directly at Quinn. Her heart broke at the look of pure devastation in those chocolate eyes.

"I'm confused, Quinn. And I'm sad and heartbroken and absolutely terrified. But there's no one I'd rather be in this situation with than you. I know we've hurt each other, but you have to know that I still love you and I believe that we can face anything as long as we're together. Even if it means starting over."

Quinn bit the inside of her lip as she mulled over what Rachel had said. Quietly she asked, "Why _did_ you go inside that night when it looked closed?"

Rachel cleared her throat and wiped softly at her eyes. "You had reminded me that your father owned the restaurant. When I got there and saw the closed sign, but the door was unlocked I thought that you had planned a romantic dinner and had your father close it down for just the two of us."

Quinn lowered her head and breathed past the tears that choked her and stung her eyes. She rushed forward and crushed Rachel against her in a tight embrace, her arms pulling tighter when she felt Rachel's arms wrap around her waist as well as her girlfriend accepted and returned the contact.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," she breathed against her neck. "I am so, so sorry."

"I know," Rachel answered quietly against her chest. "I'm sorry too, Quinn."

They stood there for a long moment, just holding each other as quiet tears wet their cheeks. Eventually, Rachel pulled back a little and with a soft smile on her face she reached up and gently wiped Quinn's cheeks dry. She let her hand rest against her cheek and Quinn closed her eyes and leaned into the warm touch.

"You're right," Rachel said quietly. "We're too tired to do this properly. Let's just go to bed, together," she said with a pointed look and Quinn smiled sheepishly in response, "and tomorrow…no more avoiding. I promise."

While Rachel used the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face Quinn crawled into their bed. Considering how the day had started, it was ending much better than she had thought it would. She had been trying to ignore the doubts that had crept up over the last couple weeks. She had made the choice to basically defect from her family on the basis of her love for Rachel, but she'd failed to consider if Rachel would still feel the same about her after everything was said and done. Over the last couple of weeks, as the reality of what it meant to sever all ties with their pasts had sunk in, she had wondered if their love was strong enough to endure.

Quinn had been so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice Rachel had finished her nightly regimen until she felt the mattress dip beside her. She turned to see brown eyes watching her carefully. She didn't move, forcing herself to let Rachel reveal her comfort level rather than tugging the brunette close the way she wanted to. She couldn't contain the twitch of a smile as she felt a small arm slip across her waist and a knee gently nudge between her legs as Rachel snuggled in against her. Quinn absolutely loved it when they slept like this and she let herself finally relax as she draped her arm over Rachel's and rested her head against soft brown curls.

After a moment Rachel's sleepy voice hummed against Quinn's neck. "Quinn?"

"Hmmm?"

"Where were you all day?"

"Walking, mostly," she answered softly as she felt that warm whirlpool sensation of sleep tugging at the edges of her mind. "I found a park I think you'll like over by the library. I had lunch at _Pizza Schmizza_. Then I used my phone to find a MAX station and took the train downtown and just walked around for a long time."

She felt the vibration of Rachel's soft hum against her neck. Her breath was warm against Quinn's skin as she murmured, "What'd you eat for dinner?"

At that Quinn suddenly remembered the news she had. She wasn't sure now was the best time to let Rachel know, but she figured if the girl didn't remember in the morning she could just tell her again.

"Actually, I forgot until just now, but I got a job."

"Mmm, that's nice."

Quinn smiled. She'd definitely be repeating this in the morning she thought as she felt Rachel's breathing drop into the slow, soft rhythm of sleep and moments later she fell into a similar mental darkness.

(*******************)

Quinn was mildly aware of light filtering through the windows as she slowly awakened the next morning. Keeping her eyes closed she moaned lightly and rolled toward the center of the bed, automatically reaching her hand out for Rachel. Finding nothing but cool sheets she slowly blinked her eyes open to realize she was alone. She stretched her body out along the length of the bed and took a deep breath, catching the hint of coffee in the air. She let the breath out loudly and then rolled out of bed and moved the short distance to the window. She moved the light curtain back slightly and looked out on the quiet street below. It was a quiet neighborhood and she was appreciative of that.

The clanging of a dish downstairs brought her attention away from the bright blue sky outside and she quickly made the bed, brushed her teeth and hair and made her way quietly down the light brown carpeted stairs. When she turned the corner she found Rachel with her back to her softly humming to herself as she stirred something on the stove.

"It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day," she said quietly as she moved further into the kitchen.

Rachel jumped a little and then turned around with a soft smile. "Morning, baby," she said as she leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Quinn's cheek. Quinn raised her eyebrows, but decided to simply grab a mug from the cupboard and pour herself a cup of the aromatic coffee she'd smelled wafting up the stairs. Rachel had made it clear last night that whatever their problems, she still loved Quinn and she needed to stop doubting that and thinking that the brunette was only with her because she seemed to have no other option.

"Is this breakfast?" Quinn asked as she breathed gently against the coffee before taking a tentative sip. "Mmm, that's good."

"I know, right? I never really thought there was much difference in brands and types of coffee, but I'm finding that I may have been wrong. And yes, this is breakfast."

Quinn peered into the pot that Rachel was slowly stirring and frowned. "What the hell is that? It looks like blood."

"Gross, Quinn," Rachel huffed as she playfully slapped her arm. "For your information, it's strawberry compote to go along with the vegan pancakes I have keeping warm in the oven. There's non-dairy whipped topping in the fridge as well."

"Is that bacon?" Quinn asked incredulously as she noticed the slowly sizzling pan on the back burner.

Rachel nodded. "Well, it's meatless bacon, but yes."

"Why are you doing all of this?" Quinn asked quietly. When they had lived in New York whenever Rachel had stayed over at her apartment or she at Rachel's she had always made them breakfast, although it wasn't always this elaborate. But since they had been in Portland Rachel hadn't really cooked much of anything. They'd been doing a lot of "fending for themselves", especially in the breakfast department and ordering takeout for dinner.

Rachel sighed and removed the compote from the burner as she flicked the dial to the "off" position. "Yesterday was kind of awful Quinn, but it gave me a lot of time to think." She bent down to pull a small glass bowl from a lower cupboard and Quinn took the opportunity to admire her ass in her grey lounge pants. Rachel raised and looked at Quinn as she slowly began pouring the warm, sweet concoction from the pot into the bowl, the smirk on her face showing she knew exactly what Quinn had been looking at.

"Anyway, I did a lot of thinking and I came to the conclusion that I'm tired of being angry. Sometimes life just doesn't go your way and the plans you make don't pan out, but that doesn't mean that you just give up. I realized that the last couple weeks I've just kind of been faking my existence and that just isn't me. Everything I've ever done I've thrown my whole self into and this shouldn't be any different." As she spoke she pulled plates and silverware out and handed them to Quinn and the blonde immediately began setting the table. Rachel placed the compote on the bar and then grabbed the whipped topping and platter of pancakes and placed them there as well. Without asking Quinn grabbed the serving dishes and placed them on the table as Rachel removed the "bacon" from the pan and placed it on a small plate.

She grabbed her own coffee cup and refilled it from the pot. Holding the pot in the air she asked, "Top up?" and arched a brow at Quinn as she moved quickly between the bar and table.

"No thanks. I'm good for now."

Rachel picked up the plate of bacon and her coffee and walked out to the table. As she settled in her seat she continued where she had left off.

"I'm not saying that it doesn't hurt, because it does and I'm not sure how long it will take to heal, but I'm convinced that if I commit to this it will be better than focusing on everything I've had to give up. And we still need to talk," she continued as she spooned some of the compote on top of her pancakes and topped it with the whipped topping, "but I'd like to do that after breakfast if you don't mind. For right now I'd just like to have a nice, easy breakfast with my girlfriend where we don't discuss anything truly heavy about our relationship. Will that be okay with you?"

"That sounds really great, actually," Quinn said as she munched slowly on a piece of fake bacon. _This is not bacon_ she thought to herself even as she smiled across the table at Rachel, "just as long as we don't avoid it anymore."

"No more avoiding," Rachel assured her as she took a bite of her pancake. After she'd swallowed she pointed at Quinn's still untouched pancakes and asked, "What do you think?"

Quinn dutifully cut a piece of the pancake she'd prepared on her plate and slipped it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and hummed appreciatively. "My god, Rachel, that's declicious," she said as she quickly prepared another bite. Rachel laughed happily as she continued to eat. After a few moments of comfortable silence she said, "So, you got a job, huh?"

Quinn chuckled and took a sip of her coffee. "I wasn't sure you'd remember that."

Rachel just smiled and wiggled her fingers in a "gimme" motion. "Come on girl, give me the detes."

"The detes?" Quinn snorts with laughter. "Hon, you've been hanging out with Santana too much." It's out of her mouth before she realizes what she's saying. Silence falls between them and Quinn chokes slightly on a bit of facon as tears well up in her eyes unbidden.

"Baby," Rachel says sympathetically, but Quinn just shakes her head and forces herself to take a slow drink of coffee as she reins in her emotions.

She gives Rachel a reassuring smile and takes a small bite.

"So, you want the details. Um, so I said I took the MAX downtown, right?" Quinn waits for Rachel's nod of affirmation before continuing. "I got out at this place called Pioneer Square just because it kind of seemed like the center of things and there were a lot of people around there. From there I just walked around aimlessly for a while. I ended up down by the Waterfront and then worked my way back from a different direction. You'll have to come with me next time because I think you'd really enjoy it."

"We'll make a day of it," Rachel agreed with a smile.

"Well, it was really just a coincidence, but along the time I realized that I was really hungry and it was time for dinner I stumbled on this place that looked like a total hole in the wall, but it still seemed pretty popular. There was a lot of foot traffic so I asked someone coming out if they had good food and they said the burgers were divine. So dinner and a few drinks later I'm being chatted up by this guy that I don't even realize is the owner until he's offering me a job tending bar. I thought why not? So….that's it. I got a job."

Quinn was nervous about telling Rachel because she was unsure how she would react. Bartender felt like a far step down from future lawyer.

"Was the food good?" Rachel asked as she began stacking their dirty plates into a pile.

"Um, yeah," Quinn replied, surprised by Rachel's lack of reaction. "There were even a few options for vegans and vegetarians on the menu."

Rachel smiles brightly. "Good. Now when you have to work I can come have dinner occasionally so I'll get to see you. Did you ask him about what kind of schedule you'd be working?" Rachel rose from her seat and took the plates she'd stacked with her to the kitchen and Quinn picked up the rest and followed her as she answered.

"Not yet. I'm supposed to call him today and work out the details. You know, paperwork and all of that stuff." She opened the dishwasher and began filling it with the rinsed plates Rachel was handing her as they continued to talk.

"What's the name of this establishment?"

"_One Lucky Puck._"

Rachel grimaced at Quinn as the blonde chuckled softly. "Quinn, that just sounds kind of….dirty."

"I know," Quinn laughed. "I think it's a play on the owner's name, but I also think it's _supposed _to sound dirty. He gave me his card. I'll grab it when we're finished." It only took a few more minutes to finish loading the dishwasher and while Rachel was finishing up by wiping down the counters and the table she went through her billfold and pulled out the card she'd been given the night before.

Rachel took it from her fingers and looked it over with a discerning eye. "Noah Puckerman?" she questioned. "Oh, I get it. Puck – Puckerman. He's being punny," she said with a smile as she bit gently on the tip of her tongue.

Quinn laughed. "You're being punny," she teased as she trapped Rachel's body between her arms and the kitchen counter. "Thank you for breakfast," she said quietly as she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss against her lips. "It was delicious," she murmured before pressing more firmly. Quinn felt Rachel's thumbs rubbing gently against the inside of her wrists as she wrapped her small fingers around them. She was careful to keep the kiss slow as she languidly moved her lips against Rachel's, just barely running the tip of her tongue against Rachel's lips once in a while. After a long moment she pulled away and smiled down into Rachel's face, her brown eyes still closed and a dazed smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"You're welcome," Rachel said after a long while and she slowly opened her eyes. She leaned forward and gave Quinn a quick peck on the lips followed by two more in quick succession before she breathed out and said, "I guess it's time. No more avoiding, right?"

Quinn breathed heavily and slowly leaned back to release Rachel from the confines of her arms. "No more avoiding."


	6. Mad Gab

A/N: Firstly, thank you to everyone for reading and/or reviewing. Secondly, I realized during my editing process that I have a habit when writing third person of switching between past and present tense. I made a concerted effort to fix that in this chapter, so please feel free to let me know if I missed some of it. Now that I'm aware of it I'm going to work especially hard to give you a more fluid reading experience. Thirdly, this chapter was extremely difficult to write. Normally, dialogue is the easiest for me to write because I see it as a movie playing out in my head. Conversations ebb and flow in a natural rhythm, but for whatever reason I found this conversation difficult. Possibly because I was focused too much on making sure to cover certain plot points and not on what would naturally happen within the context of the scene. I apologize for the delay in posting, but I've seriously edited the crap out of this chapter and it's time to either post or scrap. I'm choosing to post. Thanks to all, hope you enjoy.

**CHAPTER 6: MAD GAB**

"So," Rachel breathed out slowly with an awkward smile. She was perched on one end of the couch, her back resting against the arm and her legs crossed with her feet tucked underneath her thighs so that she could look fully at Quinn who was mirroring her position on the opposite end of the couch. They had each refreshed their coffee before taking their current positions and Rachel watched Quinn raise her eyebrows questioningly as she took a sip from her mug. Rachel chuckled softly.

"This is incredible. We should mark this day on a calendar or something. Rachel Berry doesn't know what to say," she grimaces slightly and then waves her hand in the air, "Rachel Watson, whatever."

"Walker," Quinn replies quietly and Rachel looks at her with such confusion that Quinn frowns as she glances down. "It's Walker, Rach, not Watson."

"Oh." Rachel feels her chest tightening in that now all too familiar way it does when she feels the panic and the tears coming on. She forces it down and takes a calming breath through her nose. "Walker. Right. Rachel Walker," she says quietly as she tries to commit the new name to memory.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel," Quinn says quietly.

Quinn's words are enough to ground her and she feels the tightness in her chest dissipate and be replaced with a little bit of anger. She's heard Quinn apologize a lot lately and she's tired of pretending that everything's fine.

"Why are you sorry?" Rachel asks sharply.

Quinn frowns in confusion.

"You keep telling me that you're sorry and I don't doubt that you are, Quinn. I hear the sincerity in your apologies. However, I'm unsure about what exactly you're apologizing for. Is it the entire situation? Is it for not telling me the truth about who your father is? Are you sorry that I'm not spending the first month of summer with my fathers the way I had planned? What _exactly _are you sorry about?" It comes out rushed and the more things she lists the more the anger builds in her. Rachel forces herself to stop and take a slow sip of coffee as she watches and waits for Quinn's reply.

Quinn bites on her lower lip and blinks her eyes a few times to try to keep the tears at bay. "I guess I'm sorry for everything. At the root of it all though I'm sorry that I didn't make sure that you knew the truth about Russell. I just…God, Rachel if I could go back and change that I would, but I can't and what's happened has happened and I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to make things better or what to do so you'll trust me again. I don't know what to do to make you look at me the way you did two weeks ago instead of the way you look at me now."

The anger she had used to ask the question is quelled by Quinn's heartbroken reply. She had no idea she was looking at Quinn any differently than she always had. Quietly she asks, "How do I look at you now?"

Rachel can see Quinn's jaw moving rhythmically as she chews nervously on the inside of her cheek. With tears in her eyes and a thick voice she answers, "Like you don't even know me. There are moments, occasionally, when it's as if you forget what's happened and I catch a glimpse of the love I know you still feel, but then it's gone and you look at me like you're expecting me to turn on you…or like you want to turn on me. Except for last night and this morning you don't let me touch you and you've stopped sharing your feelings. It's almost like we're roommates instead of lovers."

"I don't…" Rachel starts and then runs her fingers lightly over the edge of her coffee cup as she tries to compose herself. "I didn't realize I was doing that. I don't actually believe you'll do me harm, but I suppose that some of the questions I haven't asked have fermented in my mind into scenarios that lead me to fear you." Rachel hears Quinn whimper at her confession, but she can't bring herself to make eye contact because saying it out loud has actually made her feel ashamed. She knows Quinn wouldn't hurt her intentionally, especially not physically. She takes another sip of coffee and then licks her lips nervously before finding the courage to ask, "Were…were you being groomed?"

Quinn snorts and Rachel looks up to see that she's set her mug on the coffee table and is wiping at her face. "What?" Quinn asks incredulously.

"Well, Santana obviously works for your father and since my only reference for how organized crime works is movies then it stands to reason that you're like Michael in _The Godfather_ and you were being groomed to eventually take over the family business. So that makes me Diane Keaton, the young woman who falls in love with you before you've been pulled fully into "the life" and believes you when you say you're not taking over the family business."

Rachel's heart flutters and she blushes slightly at the complete adoration she sees on Quinn's face.

Quinn sniffles softly and shakes her head with a slight smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "Well, at the risk of you not believing me because in this scenario you're Diane Keaton, I wasn't being groomed to take over the family business." She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "I wish Santana had never become involved either, but we all make our choices and we have to live with them."

"But you were pre-law," Rachel states as if this refutes what Quinn has just said. "Robert Duvall was a legal advisor _and_ he was Marlon Brando's consigliere."

"Rachel, it's not a movie," Quinn says, a hint of frustration leaching into her voice. "I was pre-law because I wanted to be a lawyer from the time I was a little kid. Everyone kept saying my dad was a bad man, but bad men went to jail. So I thought that if I became a lawyer and put all the bad men in jail people would see that my dad wasn't one of them. When I was old enough to realize that not all bad men went to jail I still wanted to be a lawyer because I wanted to keep my dad out of prison. And now, well, not now, but in the last few years I realized that I didn't really know anymore which side I wanted to be on, but I'd already put so much of my life into the law profession I wasn't going to quit. Hell, I could have gone into real estate law or tax law or something. It didn't have to be criminal, not like it matters anymore anyway."

"And even beyond my career choice, Russell didn't want me in the business anyway. For the most part he was very careful to do as much as he could to keep the details of his work separate from us. He never wanted any of us to be used against him," Quinn finishes quietly, her voice incredibly soft on her last sentence.

They're both quiet for a long time, each lost in their thoughts. Rachel hears the loud engine and beeping noise of a garbage truck in the area and she's thankful she remembered to take the large blue container out to the curb the previous night because she doesn't want to interrupt their discussion for anything.

"I've been selfish," she finally says into the stillness.

"No you haven't," Quinn protests immediately.

Rachel shakes her head and places her coffee cup on the table next to Quinn's. "No, I have," she affirms as she unfurls her legs and moves to the center of the couch. She tucks her right leg under her left and reaches forward and grabs Quinn's hand in her own. She doesn't look at Quinn as she speaks, instead focusing on the length, and warmth, and strength of Quinn's fingers. _So lovely_ she thinks with a soft smile.

"All I've been able to focus on is what I've lost. _My_ family, _my_ career, _my_ dreams of Broadway," she sighs as she shakes her head. Finally she looks up with wet eyes and looks at Quinn. "But you lost your family too. You lost your friends. You lost your career and your dreams, too."

"No, Rachel. Stop," Quinn says as she tugs her hand gently free of Rachel's fiddling fingers and intertwines them instead in a strong grip. "You're not being selfish by mourning the loss of the life you've always dreamed of and have worked so hard for. And while, yes, I have given up my family and my friends and a career, I haven't given up my dream. Being a lawyer wasn't my dream, it was a career."

Quinn hesitates slightly and then licks her lips nervously. "I didn't even know _how_ to dream until I met you."

Rachel feels a swell of affection for this woman in front of her and sadness for the young girl who never learned to dream.

"You're my dream Rachel. Being with you, living a life with you, that's my dream and I didn't have to give that up." Tears once again well up in those hazel eyes and Rachel squeezes Quinn's hand in her own to comfort and encourage her. "It breaks my heart that you've lost your dream. It breaks my heart for you because I want you to have everything you've ever dreamed of. I want to make all your dreams come true even though I know I can't. And it breaks my heart for all the people that are going to miss out on knowing what an amazing person you are and what phenomenal talent you have. If anyone's been selfish it's me because I wanted both of our dreams to come true so badly that I wasn't willing to give up mine so you could keep yours."

"What do you mean?" Rachel asks quietly as she fights her own tears. She nearly winces from how hard Quinn is squeezing her fingers.

"I swear to you, Rachel, I honestly thought you knew. I thought one of your college friends or _someone_ would have said something to you because I've never had anyone in my life that didn't know the truth about my family within a couple days of meeting me." Quinn pauses and takes a deep breath, "But if I'm being honest…I can't be certain that I would have told you if I'd believed you didn't know."

Rachel bites her lip as her mind churns with Quinn's confession. "So even in light of our current situation you wouldn't have given me vital information to make an informed decision?" Her tone isn't accusatory, but there is definitely more than a hint of disbelief. Quinn shakes her head and Rachel feels a surge of indignation and anger flood through her. She tries to pull her hands free, but Quinn's grip tightens.

"Rachel, no, that's not what I'm saying. At this point, knowing what's happened, yes, as much as it would kill me I would make a different choice. If it meant that you would still have a chance at fulfilling your dreams then I would go back in time and I'd move from that park bench before you ever had a chance to fall into my lap. Even though it would mean that I would never get to know the joy of having you in my life, of knowing you and loving you, I would still do it because at least it would mean that I could give you what I so desperately want to give you right now; your life back."

"But when I look at things objectively, if I were making the choice then without the future knowledge I have now, I'm not sure that I would have chosen differently. I'm not sure I would have been strong enough to tell you the truth."

Rachel can't stop the tears that are slowly rolling down her face. She's just so confused because Quinn seems to be talking in circles. On the one hand Rachel can feel the depth of the blondes love for her. The words she's spoken and the conviction in her voice tell Rachel that if she could Quinn would sacrifice her own happiness to preserve Rachel's, but at the same time she's also saying that without foreknowledge Quinn would still not tell her about her father.

"I don't understand," she says brokenly, "you say that the reason you didn't tell me is because you thought I already knew because apparently everyone knew, but then you say you wouldn't tell me even if you'd thought I didn't know. Quinn, if everyone knew anyway what was the harm in telling me? If I'd known that your father was the head of a crime syndicate then I would have thought more than twice about entering a restaurant that was owned by him that appeared to be closed during its regular hours of business. Why would it matter if I knew when you've said yourself that _everyone_ you've ever known has had that knowledge?"

"Would you have stayed with me?" Quinn asks through her tears with such fear in her eyes that it causes Rachel's heart to ache.

Rachel hesitates as she tries to formulate a response, but it's all Quinn needs to scoff tearfully.

"And that's why Rachel. Didn't you ever wonder why I was twenty before I had my first real relationship? Everyone I would meet or have any kind of initial interest in was either warned off by their friends and family before we reached a third date or would google my name and find articles about my father and all of his alleged crimes. The only reason Santana and Brittany were allowed to be around me long enough to even become my friends is because they had absentee parents that didn't have time to tell their daughters that hanging around with Quinn Fabray was dangerous and could someday get them killed or worse, hiding out in witness protection pretending to be someone they're not. I love you more than anything. I love you more than I've ever loved anyone in my life and I don't think I would have been able to take the risk that you would leave me if you knew the potential for danger."

When Rachel tugs her hands away Quinn finally releases them. Quinn turns her head away and wipes at her wet cheeks as she takes shaky breaths. Rachel slumps forward slightly, letting her elbows rest against her knees as she presses the knuckles of her closed hands against her eyes and takes deep breaths to try to stem the flow of tears that won't seem to stop. She can feel the warmth of Quinn's legs pressing against her own on the couch and it's a comfort to have that contact as she tries to deal with her emotions.

"I," Rachel starts and then stops as she blows out a huff of air. "God, Quinn, I don't even know what to do with all of this. It's incredibly romantic how much you love me, but it feels like a lot of pressure too. I mean, we've been together a year."

"Next week," Quinn quietly interjects and Rachel looks at her with surprise as she remembers, yes, it is their anniversary next week.

"But it's only a year Quinn and what if things don't work out? Santana's birthday is next month. You know it's going to be incredibly difficult to maintain silence. What about Christmas? You said that was always a big deal for your family. What if you start missing out on all of these things you could have had without me and you start to resent me?"

"I could say the same thing to you Rachel," Quinn replies. "But as for me, and how I feel about you…well, yeah, it's going to be hard and it's going to hurt being away from my mom and Franny and Santana and Britt, but I'll have you and for me that more than makes up for it." Quinn laughs wetly, "I thought you loved me enough to overlook how my family made most of its money and that's why you hadn't broken up with me yet. I should have realized you didn't have a clue as to what the truth was. I understand if your feelings for me have changed because of who my father is and what he's done, but my feelings for you haven't changed and I'll do whatever I can to reassure you of my love and faith in you."

Rachel shakes her head and for the first time finds a little peace in the first thought that enters her head. "You had no control over what your father did. You're just as much a victim of circumstance as I am. Maybe worse because his career choice molded your entire life." Rachel smiles sadly at Quinn. "I'm always going to wish that you had told me, but just like you I can't be certain what I would have done with that information. I think part of me would have appreciated the drama of it, you know," she shakes her head softly and shoots Quinn a self-deprecating smile, "oooh I'm dating a mob boss' daughter. But I can't say that it would have scared me off and I'm fairly certain that if you'd waited until I was completely in love with you to tell me that I wouldn't have been able to walk away, even if I'd wanted."

Quinn reaches across to the coffee table and grabs a box of Kleenex. Rachel smiles gratefully as she pulls a few from the box and wipes at her face.

"Can we be done talking about this for now?" Quinn asks quietly as she balls the tissues in her hands after cleaning the tears from her face and wiping her nose.

Rachel chuckles, "Yes, please." She bites on her lip as she watches Quinn's chest rise and fall in a hiccupping motion as she gains control of her emotions. They come from completely different backgrounds and Rachel understands that better now than she ever did before. She grew up believing that having dreams was the equivalent of setting goals. Quinn grew up believing that dreams were something she couldn't afford to have because there was no way they could come true. But they had both led a relatively lonely existence based upon other peoples' perception of their families, until they found each other. She couldn't imagine finding anyone that was as perfect as Quinn was for her. They were definitely not perfect as people, but as a couple they were as perfect as was possible and Rachel made up her mind to not let anything get in the way of that. "I'm going to hug you now," she said quietly and smiled as she saw shock followed quickly by the brightest, most loving smile she'd ever seen grace Quinn's face.

Quinn's arms are tight around her waist as if she's afraid that if she were to loosen her grip even a little Rachel would slip right through her fingers. Rachel rests her head against Quinn's shoulder and rubs soothing circles across her back. This wasn't the way she'd imagined their morning going. She had assumed that Quinn would defend her family and her actions or lack thereof. She hadn't thought that Quinn would open herself up in such an honest manner. It changed things for her. Rachel had always seen her girlfriend as a strong, independent, self-assured woman and she was still all of these things, but now Rachel was able to see the soft underbelly of the shell she'd erected around herself. She saw Quinn's heart and just how vulnerable it was because she'd given it so fully to Rachel.

"I don't want to let go of you, but my leg's asleep," Quinn says quietly against her neck.

Rachel smiles and slowly extracts herself from Quinn's arms. "Lie down," she instructs after making room on the couch for Quinn to stretch her legs. She frowns in empathetic pain when Quinn hisses and flexes her leg to get the blood flowing properly. "Comfortable?" she asks and when she receives a nod in response she settles in the small space left between the blonde and the back of the couch. Quinn smiles and scoots out a little more to make room for her.

"This is nice," Rachel says. She can feel the hum of agreement from Quinn's chest which currently has her head resting upon it. They have a large couch for the exact purpose of what they're currently doing and there's plenty of room for Rachel, but that doesn't stop her from draping her body halfway across the length of Quinn as she plays with the soft hem of Quinn's t-shirt. Quinn has wrapped her arms around Rachel as they lay together and she can feel the fingers of one of those hands drawing soft patterns on the skin of her lower back where her shirt has ridden up. Or been pushed up, either one is possible.

"How are you feeling?" Quinn asks her quietly as she pushes the palm of her hand fully underneath Rachel's sleep shirt and scratches her short nails softly against the skin of her back.

Rachel sighs heavily and teases the bottom of Quinn's shirt up slightly so she can feel the warmth of Quinn's soft skin beneath her fingers. She thinks that parts of her hadn't completely recovered from the shock of witnessing a man's murder and then being ripped from her existence as Rachel Berry, Rising Star. She hadn't realized until just that morning that she'd been avoiding physical intimacy with Quinn. It had stemmed from the feeling of betrayal after realizing the truth she'd thought Quinn had been hiding from her and had grown with the depression and loss of sense of self over the last couple weeks until she didn't even realize what she was doing. Now that they'd finally talked and many of her questions had been answered, even questions she hadn't realized she had, such as the depth of Quinn's feelings for her, she felt a need to reassure herself with Quinn's presence.

"Sad," Rachel finally answers as she begins to rub her hand slowly against Quinn's stomach. She can feel Quinn's muscles twitch occasionally when her fingers brush softly against her sides and she smiles because she knows how ticklish Quinn is and yet she's not asking Rachel to stop.

"Oh," Quinn says quietly. Her hand stills for a moment on Rachel's back, but as if she's unable to stay still when touching the soft skin her fingers begin to trace small indiscernible patterns once again.

"I feel sad because I now know that you never intended to hurt me in any way and I should have known that. I should have known there was a reason you kept the truth from me because in everything else you've always been honest. I'm sad because I don't think I've been fair to you and there's no way to change how distant I've been the last couple of weeks, but I want you to know that I really don't blame you for any of this anymore. I'm just sad. And I think I'll probably be sad occasionally for a while, but I'm not going to take it out on you anymore."

Quinn's hand squeezes Rachel's side. "Sweetheart, please don't feel badly about that. I completely understand why you haven't been your normal self lately and you have to know I haven't held it against you and I never will."

"I know," Rachel replies, her voice still quiet as she tries to snuggle closer into Quinn. She's still moving her hand slowly against Quinn's warm, firm stomach, occasionally letting her fingers slip a little lower and pushing against the waistband of Quinn's sleep shorts. "But I was serious this morning when I said I wanted to focus on making our life here as normal as possible. It's not going to do either of us any good to dwell on the past or what we've lost. I want to find a new passion; something to make me feel like, even if I don't have the name anymore, I'm still Rachel Berry."

She feels Quinn's warm lips against her hairline a split second before she hears Quinn whisper, "You'll always be Rachel Berry."

There's a comfortable silence between them for a long while as they enjoy the closeness they're sharing. Rachel turns her head and nuzzles her nose against the hardness of Quinn's collarbone. She places soft closed-mouth kisses against the flat surface of her chest and then moves slowly down and kisses the soft swell of the rise of Quinn's breast. Quinn's fingers press harder against her back and then slowly move lower until her hand is gently resting on the gentle slope of her ass.

"Do you remember that off-off play I auditioned for last summer?" Rachel asks quietly. She opens her mouth slightly and runs the tip of her tongue slowly across the top of the firm breast beneath her.

"Mmm," Quinn hums as she tightens her grasp on Rachel's ass at the feel of Rachel's tongue against her. "Yeah, that ass-hat director cast that no talent whore instead of you," she replies quietly and Rachel smiles at the hint of aggravation she hears.

"Well, she was his niece. If I had family in the business I might have been tempted to take advantage of a little nepotism." She runs her hand further up the inside of Quinn's shirt and lets her fingers drift softly against the bottom of the breast she's kissing on.

"Rach," Quinn breathes beneath her as her hips push up slightly in the same instant that she pulls Rachel down against her.

"Do you remember what you did?" Rachel raises her head up so that she can see Quinn's face. She smiles when she sees the blonde's brow furrowed in concentration.

"Um, I think I….haahh" she gasps as Rachel covers her breast and rolls her stiff nipple gently between her thumb and forefinger, "I think I brought you vegan ice cream and we watched _Funny Girl_."

Rachel smiles at the memory and then sits up and shifts so that she's straddling Quinn's hips. With her new position she has use of her right hand and she runs it up to join her left which is still slowly manipulating Quinn's now heaving breasts. She locks her gaze on Quinn and takes a deep breath at the sight of those darkened hazel eyes watching her with such wanton desire. Rachel rolls her hips in a slow but steady rhythm and retracts her hands only to tug Quinn's shirt up and off of her.

"That was lovely and thoughtful of you, but I'm referring to what you did the next day," Rachel says lowly, her breath coming in soft gasps as her arousal builds. As soon as she pulls Quinn's shirt free and tosses it to the side she bends down and takes the woman's breast into her mouth letting her teeth softly graze the flesh as she works her tongue in circles around the stiff peak and then sucks hard before pulling back with a soft pop.

"Ugh," Quinn grunts out, "Rachel..I..I can't right now. I can't think, God, I can't….right now."

Rachel smirks lightly at Quinn as she chuckles softly and reaches to the hem of her own shirt, pulling it off quickly and letting it join Quinn's on the floor. She gasps as Quinn's warm hands immediately cover her now bare breasts, her strong fingers still gentle as she squeezes the small mounds and pulls on her hardened nipples. The rhythm of Rachel's hips increases exponentially as she grinds herself into Quinn. It's difficult to concentrate now, but she has a point in bringing this up and she's not going to truly let go until she's made that point clear to her girlfriend.

"You, oooh," she groans when her center presses perfectly against Quinn, "you showed up at my apartment the next morning with vegan doughnuts and coffee."

"Mmm, yeah, I remember," Quinn husks as she moves her hands from Rachel's breasts to her hips. She slips her hands in past the waistband of Rachel's lounge pants and pulls Rachel harder into her. "Nngh, Rach, take these off," she pleads.

Rachel shakes her head softly. "Not yet, baby," she pants. "Remember, we took the subway up to 5th and we ate breakfast outside Tiffany's. I thought you were just being sweet and giving me a _Breakfast at Tiffany's _moment. Oh God, Quinn, yesss," she hisses when Quinn doesn't wait for her pants to be off to press her fingers against her throbbing clit. "Mmm, wait." Rachel pulls Quinn's hand away and leans down again to cut off the blonde's access and covers her breast with her mouth for a long moment. When Quinn's hands go back to her ass and she's moaning and breathing Rachel's name she pulls back enough to speak again.

"But then you surprised me by taking me inside and you bought me that beautiful bracelet. Do you remember what you told me, baby?" Rachel doesn't really expect an answer, but she sees Quinn nod and she smiles. "You said it was my opening night gift because you were so certain that one day I would have an opening night that you wanted to give it to me as a promise for the future."

She's looking at Quinn when she says it and she feels the blonde's movements slow as those hazel eyes lock on her. They are so full of sadness and pain and regret that Rachel feels her heart clench tight. Her entire body stills above Quinn except for her chest which heaves with exertion and arousal.

"That was the moment."

"What moment?" Quinn breathes out shakily.

Rachel holds Quinn's face in her hands and smiles softly at her. "The moment I fell in love with you."

Quinn gasps and bites her lip as tears well up in her darkened eyes.

Rachel runs her fingers through Quinn's hair as she smiles lovingly down at the beautiful woman who holds her heart and has trusted her with her own. "That hasn't changed, Quinn. It won't change because of anyone else; not your father, not your friends. The choices other people make, what other people do; it may have an impact on our lives and how we live, baby, but it will _never_ change the way I feel about you. I love you, Quinn. I love you so much and I have long before I ever found the courage to say it aloud."

"Rachel," Quinn chokes out, her voice thick with emotion, "kiss me, please. Just kiss me, sweetheart."

She leans down and fuses her lips to Quinn with a whimper, pressing her tongue hungrily into her mouth and tugging on the long blonde hair still threaded through her fingers. She runs her tongue along the ridged roof of Quinn's mouth and then slips along the soft muscle of Quinn's tongue, curling around it and then sucking. Rachel smiles against her mouth when it produces a guttural moan from the back of Quinn's throat. She pulls back to trail open-mouthed wet kisses along Quinn's jawline.

When Quinn asks a breathy, "Now?" and fingers the soft cotton of Rachel's waistband she simply nods her head yes and lifts up enough for those warm, sure hands to drag the barrier down her legs. She places a string of wet kisses along her neck before rising up enough to finish pulling her ankles free and then quickly removing Quinn's sleep shorts.

Rachel stays sitting upright, her knees digging into the cushion of the couch on either side of Quinn's thighs and just takes a moment to enjoy the sight of her gorgeous girlfriend in all her naked glory. "You're so beautiful, baby," she whispers as she runs appreciative fingers slowly across Quinn's abdomen watching with a smile as her muscles jump and shiver.

She presses on Quinn's hips a little as she shifts back slightly and then dips down and runs her tongue slowly and deliberately along the drenched folds of her sex. She hums with appreciation and feels a fresh wave of wetness between her thighs as Quinn rotates her hips and pushes herself up into Rachel's mouth. "God, baby, you're so wet," she says just before sucking on one lip. Quinn whimpers loudly and Rachel feels her long nimble fingers threading through her hair. She takes her time with Quinn; a lick here, a suck there. She presses her tongue into her entrance only to pull it out and suck her protruding clit between her lips. Quinn's a babbling, undulating, begging mess by the time Rachel slips two fingers inside of her and with slow, steady thrusts and a well-timed flick of her tongue against the blonde's clit she's clenching hard around Rachel's fingers and bowing off the couch in a silent scream as she comes undone.

In her post-orgasmic haze Quinn pulls at Rachel's shoulders and the brunette complies by crawling slowly up her lover's body, taking her time to place loving kisses across the warm, slightly sweaty skin as she does. When she finally reaches her destination Quinn wraps her arms around her and pulls her tight against her, crushing their breasts together almost painfully. Quinn's temples are wet with tears as she kisses Rachel almost desperately.

"I love you, Rachel. I love you so much. I love you," she keeps whispering against her mouth even as she kisses her. Rachel returns the affectionate terms and holds onto Quinn as tightly as she can, realizing that they have both missed and needed this closeness. "I've missed you, Rachel," Quinn breathes against her lips as she moves to kiss along her jawline.

"I've missed you too, Quinn."

They're still holding each other tightly and waiting for their breathing and heart rates to return to normal when Quinn asks, "Should we move upstairs? Because there are so many things I want to do to you right now."

Rachel smiles against Quinn's skin and when she moves slightly she's reminded of her own still un-dealt with arousal. "That's what Scotchguard is for baby," she chuckles as she bites down softly on Quinn's shoulder. She squeals with surprise and delight when she's suddenly flipped over and finds herself on her back with a very eager and smiling Quinn hovering over her.

"We're going to need a new fucking couch when I'm through with you," Quinn growls.

Rachel's helpless to stop the shiver that runs the length of her body and the anticipatory grin that spreads across her face at the determination in Quinn's eyes.


	7. Connect Four

**CHAPTER 7: Connect Four**

"Quinn, I need a jack and coke, a pint of hef, and two glasses of the house Cab."

"Coming up Cam," Quinn responds as she quickly garnishes a gin and tonic with a wedge of lime and slides it with a smile in front of a waiting customer and then turns and begins deftly putting together the next order. It's been a busy night but she's off in ten minutes and she can't contain the excitement bubbling up inside of her. The sight of a petite brunette out of the corner of her eye makes her heart skip and then settle quickly when she sees it's not the brunette she's anticipating.

It's their anniversary and while normally Quinn would have planned an extravagant and romantic dinner out it actually worked out perfectly that the Portland Rose Festival is taking place; which is partially responsible for why _One Lucky Puck_ is so busy. She's not sure exactly what the festival is for or about or whatever, but she knows that Rachel was extremely excited when she heard about it on the news a few days ago. Apparently, there's a parade and the crowning of a Rose Queen. Every time Rachel's brought it up Quinn couldn't resist shouting, "Off with their heads!", which got a chuckle the first few times, a placating smile the next couple, and a huffing "God, would you stop!" the last few. There's also a carnival of sorts along the waterfront with rides and booths and then a light show on the Willamette River.

Quinn had closed the night before and hadn't arrived home until after three a.m. so she was glad that Rachel had joined their neighbors for the parade. She'd barely been aware of Rachel kissing her goodbye that morning as she'd left for the day because the Evans' were leaving at a god-awful time in order to get a good spot along the parade route. They had finally met the family across the street with the basketball hoop when the father and son had knocked on doors all around the neighborhood looking for their lost dog. Rachel had been so concerned about the missing canine she had gone over to the family's house only to find that the large black lab had been dropped off at the Washington County Humane Society after being hit by a car and suffering a broken leg. That news had, of course, required a batch of dog-shaped cookies with frosted casts to be taken over to the family.

Quinn was glad that Rachel was making friends. Acceptance was a slow process, but Rachel was attacking it like she did everything and the normalcy of that helped Quinn deal with her own feelings of loss. She desperately missed Santana and Brittany; more so than anyone in her family. And while the neighbors were nice and Quinn was glad that Rachel seemed to get along so well with Mercedes Evans there was something that held Quinn back from liking the woman. Quinn was civil towards her, even friendly, but she also felt wary around her and she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It had bothered her so much that she'd called Mike and asked him to do a thorough background check even though the idea of her father being able to plant a family somewhere he didn't know they were, before they were even there was ridiculous. It had come back clean and so Quinn had resigned herself to the simple fact that her girlfriend had a friend she didn't really care for.

Sam Evans was a completely different story. His blue eyes were kind and caring. There didn't seem to be a disingenuous bone in his body. He was open and trusting and Quinn had felt at ease in his presence almost instantly. He was originally from Tennessee and the soft hint of a southern accent only added to his charm. He'd moved to Oregon to attend Oregon State and now worked for a large Portland construction company as an architect while helping to put Mercedes through nursing school. Quinn was fairly certain that the largest attraction to getting to know the family for Rachel though lay in the four-year old boy that had accompanied his father on their first visit to their door. And Quinn definitely wouldn't disagree because he was also the main attraction for Quinn. With his piercing blue eyes, light mocha complexion, and dark brown hair that fell in a mop of soft curls across his forehead, Tyler Evans was one of the most beautiful children Quinn had ever seen. His looks were complemented by an adorable personality and Rachel had told her she was anxious to become close friends with the family so they could offer to babysit the young boy.

"Quinn, I love the new hair," the brunette she saw earlier and had briefly mistaken for Rachel says as she walks toward her behind the bar. Quinn reflexively runs her hand through her shortened locks and smiles at the woman currently tying a black apron around her waist as she prepares to relieve Quinn.

"Thanks, Mack."

"Yeah, you look hot. Of course, you didn't need a new hair cut for that," Mack says with a smile as she purposefully crosses behind Quinn much closer than was necessary to get between the blonde and the bar and runs her hand across Quinn's low back as if she needs the contact for support.

Quinn instantly stiffens. Mack's made it incredibly obvious that she's interested and Quinn has made it just as obvious that she's not, but that hasn't seemed to deter the woman. She chooses to ignore the contact and simply says, "Rachel hasn't seen it yet, so I hope she feels the same."

Mack smiles. "Rachel's you're roommate, right?"

Quinn's eyes narrow. Mack knows exactly who Rachel is. She just likes to play games. They've only worked a few shifts together and Quinn's already growing tired of them. "Rachel's my girlfriend," she says plainly and deliberately turns her back on the brunette to finish stocking the area in preparation to leave. She's thankful it's so busy because Mack is instantly put to work filling drink orders and doesn't have time to attempt to flirt with her anymore.

"Hot damn," she hears a voice say slightly to her left and the familiar voice instantly turns her frown into a smile. She looks over to see her boss standing at the edge of the bar with an appreciative smirk gracing his handsome face. With dark brown hair cut so short it might as well be called stubble, laughing hazel eyes, full lips, and a body that Greek sculptures would have fawned over Noah Puckerman was exactly what he billed himself as. Lady Killer. In the week she'd been working for him she hadn't seen him with the same girl twice. And there was always a girl.

"Q, you know your tips are going to, like, double with that new 'do," he says with a smile as he walks to her and flicks the ends of her now above the shoulder hair. The hairdresser had described it as a cross between a shag and a bob, but Quinn liked the fact that it was off her shoulders. She had it done before coming in for her shift so it was still the way the stylist had done it, razored and straightened in a way that made her look almost "rocker chick". If she'd gone with the pink hair coloring the hairdresser had wanted it would have completed the look, but Quinn wasn't ready for that drastic a change.

"Well you know I'm a slave for the tips," she laughs at him. In the next instant an uncommon feeling of insecurity makes her ask, "Do you think Rachel will like it?"

Puck chuckles. "Seeing as how I've never met your lady I wouldn't know, but assuming she has eyes – then yes, Q, she's going to fucking love it."

Quinn smirks and shakes her head playfully. She really hopes Rachel likes it as much as everyone else seems to. "It looks like Mack has everything under control here so I'm going to get out of here before you beg me to work another shift."

Puck looks hurt. "Hey, I wouldn't do that to you. Just because there are so many fine women just begging to get a little taste of Puckzilla doesn't mean I don't appreciate what it means to be with _only one person for a whole year_." He tempers the sound of his utter disbelief over that milestone with eyes sparkling with mirth and a waggle of his brow. Quinn laughs and hits him in the shoulder with the hand towel she'd been using before making her way to the back.

There's a small locker – slash – break room in the back and Quinn quickly extracts the change of clothes she brought from one of the half-size lockers. She mists her torso with vanilla and brown sugar body spray because Rachel told her the other day that it's one of her favorites before slipping into a dark green fitted button up blouse and pulling a pair of dark gray skinny jeans over her hips. She refreshes her make-up quickly and fluffs her hair just before giving herself a scrutinizing once over, grabbing her purse, and making her way back into the loud, busy restaurant and bar. She instantly spots Puck standing almost exactly where she left him ten minutes ago except that now he's talking to a petite brunette woman and Quinn smiles wide because even though the woman has her back to her there's no mistaking her this time.

As she approaches she catches the tail-end of their conversation and smiles because of course Rachel would make a point to bring this up on her very first meeting with the man.

"Well, I hope you don't mind me calling you Noah because I personally think that Puck is an awful nickname and I have no idea why anyone would choose to be called by it."

Puck just smirks. "What do you automatically think when you hear Puck?" Quinn can't see Rachel's face, but from the knowing nod that Puck gives her and suggestive raise of his eyebrows she can guess that her girlfriend is blushing furiously. "That's right," Puck says suggestively. "So when I introduce myself to a lady she's instantly thinking _fuck_ and now she associates that with me. It just makes the whole transition for how we'll probably be ending the evening smoother."

"Oh my God," Rachel says and Quinn stifles her laugh at the absolute shock and disgust she hears in her voice.

Puck grins. "Yeah, they're screaming and moaning that a lot by the end of the evening, too."

"You're not one for first impressions are you Puck?" Quinn finally interrupts. She places her hands on Rachel's hips and leans down to place a kiss against her cheek. "Hey sweetheart, you can't take half the things Puck says seriously. He's a man and a compulsive liar, so that's two strikes against him. He really can't help himself."

"Hey!" Puck cries defensively, but he smiles when Quinn chuckles and moves so she can rest her arm lightly across Rachel's shoulders. "Whatever," he mumbles lightly, "you know it's true."

"Oh my God, Quinn! You cut your hair."

The nervous excitement Quinn has been feeling all night suddenly returns with a vengeance and she looks down into surprised dark eyes. "Do you like it?" she asks quietly. She feels Rachel's arm around her waist tighten and then fingers are threading through her hair just seconds before warm lips are pressing hard against her mouth. She recovers quickly and pulls Rachel close with the hand that isn't around her shoulders, but she lets Rachel control the kiss and it's hard and passionate and she moans softly when Rachel pushes her tongue past her lips and practically de-tonsils her there in the middle of the bar. She vaguely hears the clearing of a throat and remembers they're in a very public place just as Rachel's hand moves across her ass. She forces herself to pull back and looks dazedly at Rachel. She's sure that Rachel's heaving chest, bruised lips, and blown eyes are mirrored by her.

"Okay. Wow. Thank you," Puck says quietly and then backs up quickly and throws his hands in the air when Quinn glares threateningly at him. "Sorry, but I think I have to say I told you so. I knew she'd love the hair," he smirks. "Rachel, it was a pleasure meeting you and I hope to see you around here a lot more. Quinn's been one of the best hires I've made in a long while. Plus she's pretty fucking awesome just as a person, which I'm sure you already know. Now, I am off to do owner-ly things." He tips an imaginary hat and then turns and walks away with a swagger Quinn's fairly certain has become his normal walk.

When she turns back toward Rachel she sees that the brunette has gained control over her breathing, but her eyes are still flitting over Quinn in a hungry way that Quinn isn't familiar with. She's seen and learned to interpret many looks on her girlfriend's face. Desire, adoration, love, anger, and more recently disappointment, but never has she seen such unadulterated hunger in those brown eyes and it sets a slow fire burning low in her stomach that makes her sorry that she's planned an entire evening at a very public, very family-friendly carnival.

"You ready to get out of here, Rachel?" she asks as she forces herself to control her libido.

Rachel bites her lip and nods before threading her fingers through Quinn's hand and turning toward the door. Quinn watches the brunette's ass as she's led through the bar, but when she accidentally bumps into someone she forces herself to look where she's going. It's perfect timing because she catches the angry, jealous glare Mack is shooting Rachel and it makes her smile. _Maybe now she'll get a clue_, she thinks as they exit the bar into the warm June night.

Quinn holds Rachel's hand tightly in her own as they pass clumps of people laughing on the sidewalk on their way to Waterfront Park. A teenager with music audibly blasting from the ear buds in his ears hurries past them and brushes against Rachel a little too hard. He mumbles a "sorry" over his shoulder as he hurries on and Quinn sends a glare so harsh into his back that he really ought to just drop dead right there in the intersection. Rachel laughs at her and tugs her closer.

"So you really like it?" Quinn asks tentatively.

Rachel gives her a sidelong glance and shakes her head. "I love it. I'm curious why you decided to cut so much off, but I really do love it Quinn. It makes you look," she pauses as she looks for the right descriptor, "wild, sexy….free."

Quinn grins. "This is going to sound crazy because seriously, it's just a haircut. But it makes me feel free. I needed a change; something that would make me feel like this new person I'm supposed to be, but I didn't expect it to make me feel new." She thought about it for a moment. "Maybe not new, but refreshed."

Rachel grins and shakes her head. "It doesn't sound crazy. How we feel and who we are is often reflected on the outside and as much as I like this look on you I also love who you are. Just because our names have changed and our lives have changed doesn't mean the core of who we are has to change. I love who you are Quinn and I love who I am. It's not like we have to be completely new people."

"Well I know that and I love who you are too. I just needed a change, a break from the past."

"Well I love it no matter the reason," Rachel says with a wink just before twisting around as they walk down the street so she can face Quinn and run her fingers through her short blonde hair. Quinn smiles and steadies Rachel with her hands on her hips as the brunette walks backwards for a few steps before placing a quick kiss to her lips and spinning back so they can walk side by side again.

"Oh Quinn, look at all the lights," Rachel breathes excitedly. She squeezes Quinn's hand as they slow their walk to accommodate the congestion of people entering Waterfront Park. Rachel smiles as they queue up to pay for admission. She wraps both her arms around Quinn's and snuggles in close to her as she rests her head on the blonde's shoulder. Quinn smiles and tilts her head and places a soft kiss against Rachel's forehead.

"I can remember my fathers taking me to the Allen County Fair every year when I was a little girl. I would get an elephant ear and we would look at all the booths as I ate it. We'd go on the bumper cars because I was usually too small for any of the other rides and then we'd go to all the regular booths. The ring toss was my favorite. We wouldn't leave until they had won me at least one stuffed animal. Then we'd go to the petting zoo and on our way out I would get a pink bag of cotton candy to take home with me. I would usually have it eaten by the time we got home and I'd be so hyper from the excitement and the sugar that I couldn't fall asleep so they'd put _Meet Me in St. Louis_ starring Judy Garland in the player and we'd watch it. I usually fell asleep on the couch before it was over, but I still can't ever watch that movie without remembering the taste of cotton candy and the warmth and comfort of sitting between my dads."

Quinn gazes worriedly down at her girlfriend. "I thought you wanted to come here tonight, Rach. If you want to do something else we can."

Rachel smiles and shakes her head. "No. I love those memories, but I want to make new ones. I want to make memories with you. Now come on," she says as she tugs playfully at Quinn's arm and gives her a goofy grin, her eyes shining brightly in the artificially lit up night, "let's get our carnival on."

Almost two hours later and Quinn isn't sure _she_ loves carnivals, but she's certain that she loves the way Rachel loves them. They did the bumper cars and Rachel laughed maniacally each time she broadsided Quinn and then insisted that her next career path should be in NASCAR. They went on a couple of rides, but Rachel began feeling sick so they devoted the rest of their time to trying their hand at all the different game booths. Quinn spent a little over twenty dollars on the ring toss, but finally won Rachel the Care Bear she'd wanted so badly because it had a smiling gold star on its belly.

"Hey, Quinn?"

"Hmm?" Quinn answers softly as they slowly stroll through the throngs of people.

"Thank you for tonight. It's been a wonderful anniversary."

Quinn smiles and leans down for a quick kiss. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for giving me an entire year of being my girlfriend."

"Quinn," Rachel says as she runs her fingers slowly along the inside of Quinn's forearm, "I'm ready to go home."

Quinn doesn't miss the look in Rachel's eyes and the sensation of her warm fingertips against her arm is sending goose bumps rising along her flesh. "Then let's go home," she replies, her voice already low with arousal.

Suddenly Rachel bounces excitedly beside her. "Oh, but we have to get our cotton candy so we can take it home with us."

Quinn laughs and interlocks her fingers with Rachel's before weaving through the crowds toward the long line of food vendors. She easily spots the booth with bags of blue and pink cotton candy on display and they get in line. There's only five people in front of them and it looks as though the line is moving quickly. The night air is cool and she notices Rachel shiver slightly now that they're simply standing. She quickly removes her jacket and holds it so that Rachel can slip her arms in the sleeves. The woman smiles gratefully and Quinn simply kisses her cheek lovingly. She knows Rachel gets cold easily and she's glad she thought to bring a jacket at all.

"Oh! I know him," Rachel suddenly says excitedly. Quinn follows the direction of her pointing finger and sees a tall young man with perfectly coifed brown hair wearing what appears to be a dark blue sailor's uniform, if he were enlisted in the 1950's. "I met him today at the parade. He was standing beside us as the floats went by and gave a color commentary on each one. He's quite hilarious. Very witty. I'm going to go say hi really quick, okay?"

Quinn looks at the three people still in front of them and then at all the people between them and Rachel's acquaintance. She can't help the feeling of nervousness that rolls through her stomach. She doesn't want that much distance between herself and Rachel. If something were to happen she would be too far to protect the brunette. Rachel seems to read her thoughts and chuckles softly.

"Baby, it's not even thirty yards away. You stay and get the cotton candy and then come over and meet him. I'm sure you'll like him too. I really want to get his number. I have a feeling we'd be great friends. Now I have to hurry. I don't want him to get away," she says quickly before scurrying away from Quinn's hold and making a beeline for her target.

Quinn watches Rachel's back anxiously until she reaches the young man. She smiles when she sees Rachel's animated, excited gestures reciprocated by her acquaintance. She glances away to see there are now only two people in front of her and she shuffles forward then quickly returns her gaze to Rachel. There's a second man with the first and it looks as if he's being introduced to Rachel because she smiles prettily and shakes his hand. He has dark brown wavy hair and is wearing a freaking bow tie. _Where does she meet these people?_ Quinn thinks with a chuckle. She senses movement in the line and glances quickly to see there's only one person left in front of her. She moves forward again and quickly reconnects her gaze to Rachel and her friends, but frowns when she sees that there's now a third man with the small group.

Her entire body goes rigid and that nervous sick feeling in her stomach returns in full force. She can't hear what they're saying but she can read Rachel's body language and the brunette is obviously uncomfortable. There's a slight nudge to her back and she startles a little before realizing that she's finally made it to the front of the line.

"Uh, two bags of pink cotton candy and a bottled water, please," she says distractedly as she keeps her eyes on Rachel. The third man is tall and thin with overly styled hair and way too much product. His body language gives off a feeling of arrogance that instantly puts Quinn on edge. She pays for her purchases and shoves the bit of change in her pocket before grabbing everything in one hand and quickly moving through the crowd toward Rachel.

It's obviously an argument. She can now hear loud male voices and a few people are stopping to watch, creating a crowd which makes it difficult for her to see Rachel anymore. The loss of visual contact makes Quinn's heart race and she quickens her pace to almost a jog. She's ten feet away when she hears Rachel's voice.

"You're obviously intoxicated, sir. Why don't you just leave right now before you're arrested for drunken disorderly?"

"Why don't you mind your own fucking business Rainbow Sprite?"

Anger surges through Quinn at the insult, but as she breaks through the crowd and sees that he's actually grabbed a hold of Rachel's arm and pulled her toward him menacingly a new kind of rage nearly blinds her. With two steps she crosses the remaining distance, her right fist already clenched tightly, and with no warning at all she crashes into Arrogant Ass' face. He immediately cries out and falls to the ground.

"You don't lay a fucking hand on my girlfriend," she snarls from above him.

"The fuck?" he cries angrily as he slowly rises to his feet.

Quinn sees he's about to strike back and she readies herself to defend and counter when a voice to her right calls out loudly, "Alright folks, let's all calm down. What's going on here?" Arrogant Ass instantly starts whining to the newly arrived man and woman in blue uniform.

"This _bitch_ just came out of nowhere and punched me. I want to file assault charges."

Bow Tie speaks up for the first time. "Sebastian, you know she wasn't unprovoked. If you'd just walked away when I asked you to none of this would have happened."

Quinn hears Sailor Man mumble, "If you kept it in your pants none of this would have happened." She sees the flash of hurt on Bow Tie's face and Rachel's hand instantly reaches out and comfortingly pats Sailor Man's arm. She shakes her head. Of course, Rachel got herself involved in some kind of domestic situation that's none of their business. She turns her attention back to the arrogant ass Sebastian because he has made himself her business.

"I don't even know who she is," Sebastian says angrily. "She just came out of nowhere and cold cocked me."

"She's my girlfriend," Rachel says and Quinn can't help the quirk of her lips at the pride she hears in Rachel's voice, "and you were manhandling me. She had every right to put you in your place and you should be grateful that all you'll have is a black eye. She's trained in martial arts and could put you down with a flick of her wrist, not to mention what her fa-."

"Rachel," Quinn interrupts loudly. Rachel's eyes widen comically when she realizes what she almost said and Quinn tries to cover. "Honey, you don't have to speak for me. What I'm concerned about is you. Are you okay?"

Rachel nods slowly and chews nervously on her lower lip, afraid now to speak and say too much. "I'm okay, Quinn."

"Okay. Here's what's going to happen," the Asian female officer says firmly, "we're going to take statements from everyone and you two," she points to Quinn and Sebastian, "are going to come to the station until we get everything sorted out."

"What!" Rachel cries out vehemently. "You can't arrest Quinn. She was just defending me."

"Listen, Rachel, right? We're not arresting anyone right now. Right now we're trying to find out if any laws have been broken and to keep anymore from being committed. So until we get everything sorted out your girlfriend is going to come to the station with me while Officer Ryerson here takes everyone's statements. As soon as you've given your statement then you can come down to the station and wait for her to be released."

Quinn can see that Rachel's going to protest again so she quickly cups the brunette's worried face in her hands and locks their gazes. "Rachel, honey, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay. I'll go to the station, you give your statement and then come get me and we'll finish our night with an unforgettable adventure and a great story to regale people with." She winks and then pulls her into a hug. As her lips are pressed against Rachel's ear she whispers, "Call Mike." When she feels Rachel nod her head she pulls away and pecks her lips quickly with her own. She casts a glance toward Sailor Man and he steps forward and puts a reassuring arm around Rachel's shoulders.

"I'll take care of her. I promise you on my Alexander McQueen collection."

Quinn shoots an eyebrow up, because _really? _but then nods and gives Rachel one more comforting smile before turning toward the short Asian officer. She glances at the name plate affixed to the woman's left shoulder. "Officer Chang, I'm ready whenever you are." She briefly wonders if the officer is related at all to Mike, but realizes that's like assuming that everyone named Jones or Smith is related to each other.

Rachel must have called Mike immediately because she's only been at the station for maybe fifteen minutes when she sees his lean form walking determinedly toward the desk she's sitting beside. He glances around quickly, but Officer Chang left her there while she went to find the correct report to fill out so she's alone.

"Have they printed you?"

"No. I'm not under arrest, but she's looking for the right report right now. Here she comes," she says as she nods to Mike's right. She doesn't miss the relieved look in his eyes or the quirk of a smile as he sees the woman walking toward them.

"Mike?" Officer Chang questions. "What are you doing here?"

"Quinn and Rachel are friends of mine. I came to make sure this entire misunderstanding is treated as it should be."

Officer Chang's eyebrows rise and she glances from Quinn to Mike. A knowing smile makes its way across her face as she shakes her head. "So did she do something or is she a witness?" she asks and Quinn has to force herself to not physically react to the officer's insinuation.

Mike returns her smile. "You know, Tina, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mmhmm," Tina replies and then shakes her head. "Based on the way she leveled that guy I'm guessing she's done something."

"You don't know anything about me," Quinn suddenly seethes. Mike places a hand on her shoulder to quiet her and Tina gives her a surprised look.

"Listen Tina, you know as well as I do this is classic self-defense. The guy was drunk, he grabbed her girlfriend. Quinn had every right to defend the welfare of her loved one. It's cut and dry. I'm sure Quinn and Rachel will be willing to not press charges against this Sebastian guy as long as he doesn't press charges against Quinn. Everyone walks away happy and you have less paperwork so you can finally make it home at a decent hour tonight."

Tina's jaw clenches tightly and she looks from Mike to Quinn and then back again before tossing her pen heavily against the desk. "Fine, just get her out of here. And Quinn, I don't want to see you in here again."

"The feeling is mutual, believe me," Quinn replies caustically. She's really pissed. Obviously this woman knows that Mike is a Marshal, which means that she knows that Quinn's in protective custody, but how dare she assume that it's because of something Quinn did. All her life people have assumed that she's just like her father and it infuriates her. The fact that her anniversary night with Rachel has been ruined because of this entire fiasco only serves to upset her more.

She rises to follow Mike out of the police station and spots Sebastian being tossed into the drunk tank and she smirks. They're almost to the parking lot when she realizes they're leaving already.

"Hey, we have to wait for Rachel. Her friend from the park was supposed to bring her here."

Mike shakes his head. "I already stopped at the park and picked her up. She's waiting for us in the car."

Relief washes over Quinn and she suppresses the urge to outrun Mike once she spots the dark sedan. She can see Rachel sitting in the front passenger seat and feels disappointed that she didn't choose to sit in the back with Quinn, but she slides into the backseat without complaint. "Hey," she says softly, but furrows her brow when all she gets from Rachel is a quick glance over her shoulder before she focuses her gaze back out the passenger side window. _What the hell? Is she mad at me?_

Mike has the car started and pulling onto the street in a matter of moments. After negotiating a few turns he's on Highway 26 and heading toward Beaverton in under ten minutes. Once they're cruising along at a steady speed he breaks the silence that has held everyone in its grip.

"Listen Quinn, I know there were extenuating circumstances tonight, but I really need you to try to stay out of trouble with the locals."

The anger that had dissipated at her confusion over Rachel's greeting quickly flames back to life.

"This was not my fault!" she cries out angrily. "It's not like I went out looking for a fight or purposely broke the law. Rachel and I were out for a nice evening together, _acclimating ourselves to our new community_," she says cattily throwing his words in his face, "and some drunk douchebag attacked her."

Mike frowns. "He had a hold of her arm Quinn. You don't actually know that he was going to hurt her."

There's a ball of fury in her throat that nearly chokes her as she remembers the scene from earlier that evening and Mike's cavalier attitude makes her muscles jump with pent up frustration. "And I wasn't going to let him have the chance. The fact that he was able to even lay a finger on her is too much. If I'd been there from the beginning he wouldn't have gotten that close."

"You can't solve everything with your fists. You could have just told him to let Rachel go. He was drunk. He probably didn't even realize what he was doing, but you didn't even give a warning. You just hit him. You can't just go around hitting people." Mike sounds as if he's talking to a child and Quinn clenches her jaw tightly as she tries to rein in her temper.

"He put his hands on Rachel. He should be thankful he's not breathing through a fucking tube and if you think I'm just going to stand by and let anyone hurt her then you're delusional. I don't care if it means that you get called down to the police station every single night until we're no longer your problem I will never stop protecting her, whether that's with words or actions it doesn't matter to me." Her voice is angry and rising and she really doesn't care because _how dare he_ chastise her like a child. "And another thing, if _anyone_ ever grabs her the way that prick did tonight I'm not going to stand there and ask him to kindly remove his hands from my girlfriend. I'm going to fucking put him down like the fucking dog he is."

"Quinn," Rachel says loudly from the front seat and it instantly quiets her. She's breathing hard and shaking with rage so she just bites the inside of her cheek and turns her head to watch the headlights of passing cars through the window as she tries to calm her racing heart and shove the anger she feels back down. She doesn't even think she's entirely angry at Mike, although a large part of her is. She's angry with herself. She had a bad feeling about letting Rachel go over there alone and she ignored it. Never again. After a long moment of silence she hears Rachel's soft voice and it helps to quiet the thundering in her ears.

"Thank you for taking care of this Mike. I'm sorry that we interrupted your evening, but we both appreciate it so much. I especially appreciate you making sure that Quinn won't be facing assault charges."

"It's fine, Rachel and you're welcome. It was actually easier than I thought it would be. Tina Chang's my wife so she'll be sure to lose anything with Quinn's name on it. I mean Quinn's not the most common name so it's important you both be diligent about keeping a low profile," he finishes as he pulls up in front of their house.

Rachel thanks Mike for the ride and then scurries from the car and hurries up the walk to the front door. Quinn slides across the bench seat so she can exit on the same side as Rachel, but Mike's voice halts her movements.

"Quinn, wait. Listen," he breathes out slowly and rubs his hand through his hair in frustration, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come down on you like that. I know what I probably would have done if some guy had grabbed Tina. I just need you to think about the consequences of what happens if either of you slip up in even the slightest way. I just need you to understand that getting your name on a police blotter, even just for questioning is a really dangerous situation."

Quinn swallows hard and nods. She understands. She knows better than anyone what happens to those who betray her father. Her hand is on the door handle and she's almost out of the car when she pauses and turns back to Mike. "I understand all of that Mike and I promise you I'll do everything I can to stay hidden, but you need to understand something too. Rachel is my priority. Everything I've done since this whole mess began has been to keep her safe and I will do _whatever_ it takes to continue to keep her safe. Whether that's from my father or some random guy on the street….or even you and your government suits. Whatever it takes, Mike."

She closes the car door, not sparing him another glance as she makes her way to the house. Rachel has already let herself in and Quinn takes a deep breath before she turns the doorknob and slowly pushes the door open. She's not sure what to expect. Obviously, Rachel's upset with her but Quinn's not sure if it's because she punched Sebastian, or she's afraid because Quinn was taken down to the police station, or if she's upset with Quinn for yelling at Mike.

She walks into the hallway enough to close and lock the door behind her and turns to find Rachel standing in the small branch the hallway takes to the left to form the pantry. She sighs and lowers her head because their anniversary night has pretty much been ruined and she's not sure she can salvage it.

"Rach, I'm so-mmph." Her apology is cut off when her back is slammed against the wall and Rachel's mouth is covering hers, her tongue slipping forcefully into her mouth. Rachel's fingers dig into her hips and then slide up underneath her shirt and run against the warm skin of her abdomen.

A whimper escapes the back of Quinn's throat at the sudden sensations rocketing through her body. She recovers quickly from the initial shock and runs her hands through Rachel's soft brown hair, grips her tightly and tilts Rachel's head back slightly so she can return the greedy kiss.

Rachel moves down to Quinn's neck and sucks hard causing Quinn's head to fall back against the wall and her hips to rock forward. "God, baby, do you have any idea how sexy you are?" Rachel breathes against her neck before scraping her teeth along the column of her throat and then dragging her tongue across her skin and continuing to place open-mouthed kisses over every inch of exposed skin.

Her hands tug hurriedly at the buttons of Quinn's shirt. "When Sebastian grabbed me tonight my first thought was that you were going to be so mad at me and then all of the sudden there you were," she gasps breathily between kisses, "standing over him and I suddenly realized how Lois Lane must have felt every time Superman rushed to her rescue."

Quinn chuckles softly and leans down to pull Rachel's lips back to hers. "So dramatic," she whispers against Rachel's lips.

She feels Rachel's lips smile against her skin. "Mmm, but it's true. You're like an angel; an avenging angel. That should be your superhero name. God, I just wanted to take you right there."

Rachel slips her hands along the inside of Quinn's now open shirt and then up and along her shoulders, letting the article of clothing fall with a soft thud to the ground. Quinn gasps loudly when Rachel grazes her teeth lightly over the cloth of her bra.

"You know I've never been an advocate of violence, but I have to say that watching you just lay that guy out turned me on beyond belief." Rachel rolls her hips hard into Quinn and Quinn reaches down and grasps her ass, pulling her harder into her as sharp jolts of pleasure shoot through her lower abdomen at each moment of contact. Quinn's chest is heaving and she arches into Rachel's mouth. "Rach," she hisses loudly when the brunette deftly unclasps her bra and now there's a warm, wet mouth moving across her breast. Rachel's tongue is alternating between slow broad strokes against her breast and direct, pinpointed swirls around her erect nipples.

"I couldn't even sit in the backseat with you I was so afraid I wouldn't be able to control myself; that I'd just jump you right there. And then you started arguing with him and when you said no one lays a hand on me I thought I was going to just throw myself over the seat and just take you. Mike be damned." Rachel chuckles softly against Quinn's breast at the thought of that. "It reminded me of my apartment in New York and how you just took control and protected me and saved us and I thought, _My God, Quinn is so beautiful and amazing and confident and she's mine._ You're mine, Quinn," she says huskily as she moves back up and reclaims Quinn's mouth.

Quinn moans loudly because, really, it's been too long since she's kissed Rachel and she _loves_ kissing Rachel. "Aaww, Rachel," she cries out when a hand slips down the front of her jeans and cups her. Their sex life has always been great, but Rachel's never taken control like this and it's fucking amazing, what it's doing to her. Rachel's hand disappears too quickly, but she feels her fingers pulling at the button of her jeans and she knows they'll be gone soon so it doesn't matter. Quinn suddenly realizes that Rachel is still fully clothed and she reaches her hands to the hem of her shirt and quickly tugs it up and over Rachel's head, her dark brown hair flying everywhere with the quick motion before settling once again on her shoulders.

Rachel's lips move up Quinn's jaw and she nips at her earlobe before pulling it between her teeth and sucking. Quinn yelps. She needs more contact, more skin, more Rachel. In a flurry of movement she unzips her jeans and pushes them past her thighs then reaches forward and in one motion pulls Rachel's skirt and panties down. She hears Rachel's cry of surprise as she steps out of her jeans and presses the small woman up against the opposite wall. Her breath is coming in shallow gasps as they stand pressed together, skin to skin, and she can feel how wet Rachel is against her. She grinds herself against Rachel and loves the way she moans when Quinn leans down and starts sucking on her neck.

"Oh, Quinn, baby, god," Rachel cries out as she moves in a frantic rhythm against Quinn. "I love you," she gasps out. "Quinn."

"Quinn," she says again and Quinn finally looks up and locks her eyes on Rachel's blown pupils. Her face is flushed and her lips are bruised and plump and she looks so beautiful Quinn wants to cry. Until she hears the next words out of Rachel's mouth; then she just wants to explode and take Rachel with her.

"Fuck me, Quinn. Fuck me against the wall."

Quinn's left hand grips Rachel's thigh and as if she knows what the blonde wants Rachel pushes herself off the ground and wraps her legs around Quinn's hips. They're in the small hallway and it's fairly narrow so Rachel braces her left foot against the opposite wall and it's the perfect width to hold her up so that her knee is just barely bent, but she can help Quinn hold her weight and give her the kind of access she needs. Quinn lets out an appreciative growl as her fingers dig into Rachel's ass where she's holding her up.

She reaches forward and captures the moan Rachel releases as she slips her free hand between them and pushes two fingers deep inside her girlfriend. "Fuck," she moans into Rachel's mouth, "Rach, you're so wet." She watches as Rachel shakes her head back and forth, moans and whimpers escaping her lips as Quinn pistons her fingers inside of her.

"Harder, Quinn," Rachel breathes out moments later. "Fuck me harder."

She thinks she could come just from those words alone. She kisses Rachel hard on the mouth as she pushes her hips forward and _oh my god_ _yessss_ her clit pushes against her own hand and makes her press harder into Rachel. She knows she can get them both off like this and the sounds Rachel's making as she drives her hips harder, forcing her fingers deeper, it's just…_everything_. Moments later she feels Rachel's walls clamp down around her fingers and she's crying out in her release and Quinn's following in a rush of expletives and tender kisses.

Quinn's legs are trembling from both her orgasm and the strength it took to hold Rachel up and she knows she won't last much longer so she lowers herself slowly to the ground, letting Rachel slide down the wall and rest on her thighs as they lean against the opposite wall.

"That was awesome," Rachel pants against her chest after a long moment and Quinn laughs out loud.

"Yes. That was indeed awesome."

They're quiet again for a long moment as their racing hearts slowly return to a normal rhythm. Quinn runs her fingers slowly over Rachel's bare back, enjoying the feel of her warm, soft skin.

"I forgot the cotton candy in the park," Rachel murmurs quietly against her neck as she places soft kisses there.

"That's okay, sweetheart. I'll try to find some place that sells it so I can just buy you a bag."

Quinn watches as Rachel raises her head and locks her brown eyes on her. Fingers come up and run through her short hair and then Rachel's kissing her, but it's soft and slow and Quinn can feel Rachel's love for her in that kiss. A moment later she's laughing again when Rachel mumbles, "I fucking love your hair," against her lips.

"Oh!" Rachel suddenly sits up and playfully slaps Quinn's stomach before climbing off her and heading toward the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Quinn cries out as she scrambles to her feet.

"To get your anniversary present," Rachel calls over her shoulder.

Quinn grins and hurries up the stairs. She catches up with her at the door to their bedroom and grabs Rachel around the hips, pulling her back up against her and holding her there. "What did you get me?" she asks excitedly as she nibbles on Rachel's shoulder.

Rachel giggles and pulls at Quinn's fingers. "You'll have to let me go to find out."

She grudgingly releases her and when Rachel disappears into their walk-in closet to retrieve Quinn's present Quinn reaches into her dresser drawer and pulls out the gift she hid there for Rachel.

"Oh, mine's big," she says when Rachel comes out holding a medium-sized box. She smiles as Rachel hands the box to her and stands there nervously biting her lip. Quinn places a fingernail underneath the tape and quickly removes the wrapping paper. Before she opens the lid she looks up at Rachel and smiles again. "Do you think it's weird that we're opening our one year anniversary presents completely naked?"

Rachel laughs and shakes her head. "No. Not at all."

"Just checking," Quinn smirks before pulling the lid off the box and gently lifting the white tissue paper back. At first she thinks it's a robe, but then she pulls it out of the box and when she sees what Rachel got her tears fill her eyes at the amount of love she feels for this woman. "You got me a new gi," she whispers as she runs her fingers over the light material.

"You've been doing karate since you were little and I know how much you love it. You've focused so much on the things that I've lost that I think sometimes you don't take into account that you've lost a lot too, Quinn. I thought maybe we could turn the garage into your own personal dojo so you can still practice and workout. Do you like it?" Rachel ends tentatively.

"Like it? Rachel, I love it. Thank you so much." Quinn gently places the gi back into the box and puts it on her dresser before turning around and encompassing Rachel in a tight hug. "And I love you, too. So so much," she says into her hair before capturing her lips in a tender kiss.

Rachel smiles and then claps her hands together excitedly. "Okay, time for mine!"

Quinn licks her lips, suddenly feeling stupidly nervous over her gift. She hands Rachel the small box and waits expectantly as Rachel unwraps it and then smiles up at her when she realizes it's obviously a jewelry box. Quinn feels relief flood through her when Rachel's eyes go wide and then become instantly wet with tears after she opens the box.

"Oh my God, Quinn, this is beautiful baby," she says as she tenderly runs her fingers along the gold bracelet nestled against black velvet. The design is delicate and intricate and Rachel lifts it gently from the box and lets it rest against her fingers as she examines it more closely. The entire circumference of the bracelet is made up of golden vines that lace together and weave between each other with breathtaking detail. Intermittently placed along the vines are small leaves of ivy that seem to be brushed with diamond dust to separate them from the vines. They sparkle slightly under the light.

"I, um," Quinn speaks up quietly, "I actually had something else planned, but when everything happened I had to figure something else out. Right now there's a necklace in the unclaimed jewelry vault at Tiffany's that I had commissioned and paid for that you'll probably never get to wear so when we first got here I found a jeweler that was willing to create something to my specifications and I took a drawing in to him of what the necklace had looked like." She reaches forward and takes the bracelet from Rachel's hand, moving it slowly across her fingers until she finds what she's looking for.

She holds it so that Rachel can see. "You can only see it if you're looking for it," she says quietly. She watches Rachel's eyes as she traces the lines of the vines that make up the bracelet and she sees the moment when Rachel realizes what she's looking at. Her breath catches in her chest and her hand goes to her mouth as a small gasp escapes her lips.

"Quinn," she breathes out as she takes the bracelet back. Her fingers trace lovingly over the part of the bracelet that she probably would have never noticed, but now means so much to her. Between two of the leaves of ivy the vines twist and curl into intricate cursive letters of R, B, Q, and F. The circle of the Q weaves through the two loops of the B and all of the letters are so interwoven into the fabric of the vine that you would truly have to know what you were looking for in order to find it.

Rachel gently places the bracelet back in the box and places it next to Quinn's gift resting on the dresser. Quinn waits with bated breath as Rachel slowly crosses back toward her. Rachel cups her cheek and Quinn presses herself into the palm of her hand.

"Thank you so much, Quinn. I absolutely love it and I love you. I love you so much, baby." Rachel leans forward and kisses her slowly, sliding her lips along Quinn's in a familiar, but loving way. She gently slips her tongue into Quinn's mouth and Quinn tightens her grip on Rachel's waist and pulls her close as they slide their tongues against each other languidly.

Rachel pulls back slowly and looks up at her with a loving smile. "Quinn Fabray, will you please make love with me?" she asks quietly.

Quinn smiles. "It would be my eternal pleasure, Rachel Berry."

(****************************)

Quinn shudders as Rachel's sweaty body falls heavily against her. They're both breathing heavily and Quinn's arms feel like dead weights at her side, but she wants to hold Rachel so she forces herself to move and wraps her arms around the girl lying across her who's still giving off small tremors in the aftershock of her orgasm. Quinn closes her eyes in exhaustion and just focuses on the feel of Rachel's warm skin against her own and the way their chests rise and fall in tandem. Rachel's hair tickles her nose and she tries to wiggle it _Bewitched-_style because she doesn't really want to move her hands and she doesn't have the energy anyway. Rachel's head is nestled between her breast and she feels her warm breath rushing out against her skin and then soft kisses are placed lovingly against her chest.

"I love listening to you after sex," Rachel says quietly. "This is my favorite part, well maybe not my favorite part," she amends with a soft chuckle, "but I really love just lying against you afterward and listening to your heart slow to normal from the pounding thud it starts as."

Quinn's lips quirk into a half smile, but she's too tired to really respond.

"It's dawn," Rachel says again. She slowly shifts off of Quinn so that she's lying on the mattress but she keeps her head against Quinn's chest. Quinn shifts slightly towards her and wraps her legs around Rachel so they're completely entwined with each other. "We made love all night, Quinn," Rachel says softly. She places light kisses on the underside of Quinn's jaw and then slowly moves up and along her jawline until she's kissing Quinn's lips.

Quinn still can't open her eyes, but she does manage to release a soft, "hmm", and purse her lips to return Rachel's soft kisses. "Sleep, sweetheart," she manages to whisper against her lips and she can feel Rachel smile.

"In a minute," Rachel replies. She moves across Quinn's face, leaving a trail of soft kisses over her cheeks, her nose, across her closed eyes and then finally back to Quinn's smiling lips. "Baby, are you awake?"

Quinn doesn't respond. She can hear Rachel, but she can't seem to find the energy to move.

"Quinn, I need to tell you something important. Please open your eyes and look at me."

Rachel's voice is pleading rather than demanding and Quinn takes a deep breath and summons the last ounce of determination and strength she has to force her eyes to flutter open. When she's finally able to focus her bleary eyes she sees Rachel leaning over her, her dark brown hair cascading haphazardly around them like a curtain, her brown eyes dark and serious. Quinn focuses on her eyes and makes herself stay awake to hear whatever it is Rachel has to say.

"I don't regret it."

Quinn quirks her eyebrow at her and slowly runs her fingers along Rachel's hip as she tries to quietly coax her girlfriend to continue without actually having to tell her to continue.

"Meeting you in the park that day was the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't regret it. There may be things I look back on and wish that I had made different decisions, but you will never be one of those things. I have never felt so connected to anyone in my entire life. I believe you're my soul mate Quinn and I could never regret anything that made it possible for me to be with you."

Tears well up in Quinn's eyes and she leans up enough to kiss Rachel. "I love you so much, Rachel," she whispers against her lips. "Thank you for loving me." It's all she has left and the image of a smiling Rachel laying her head back down on Quinn's chest is the last thing she's aware of before sleep finally claims her.


	8. Don't Spill The Beans

**A/N: I apologize for the long delay in updates. This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I wanted to update sooner, but I don't want to update just to do so. When I eventually finish this story I want to be satisfied with the end product so unfortunately that means that it may be a while between updates. This chapter was a killer. I re-read, edited, deleted and rewrote whole paragraphs. But in the end I hope it was worth it. Enjoy! And please feel free to let me know what you think, good or bad.**

**Chapter 8: Don't Spill the Beans**

The Pacific Northwest is growing on her. Rachel used to think that the only place she'd ever truly feel at home was New York, but she finds that she likes the weather. It's true that it rains a lot more than any place she's ever lived, but it's not always the kind of rain that requires an umbrella and it rarely lasts all day, although Kurt told her that would change come fall and winter. The plus side of a lot of rain is that everything is so green. There are trees and gardens everywhere it seems and she enjoys taking walks through their neighborhood.

She also likes the ambience. Living in Beaverton gives her the sense of small city without the drawbacks of actually living in one. People are either accepting or apathetic, but she hasn't had a single incident of obvious prejudice. Portland is a short drive or a MAX ride away and there are so many things to do and become involved in that she and Quinn haven't had a free weekend since their circle of friends began expanding. The area is extremely eco, vegan, and lesbian friendly; all of the things that are closest to her heart so she finds herself becoming enamored of this place she never thought she'd like, let alone love.

She thinks she sees movement to her left and turns to look, but the morning sun is shining at the perfect angle to hide any details of what she may have seen on the opposite side of the sliding glass door. She doesn't have to wait long to discover that what she saw was Quinn and she smiles as the sleepy-eyed blonde pulls the door open and closes the screen behind her.

"I turned the fan on," she says as she sits down beside Rachel at the tiny metal bistro-style table they've placed on the back patio. She leans forward and Rachel meets her halfway to share a morning kiss.

They've learned quickly how to deal with the early summer heat. The house isn't air conditioned, but it hasn't been hot enough yet to warrant it anyway. As long as they run the fans in the windows during the night and early mornings and then shut the house up around 9:30 or 10 then it stays reasonably comfortable until around 6 when they re-open the windows and turn the fans back on.

"What's all this?" Quinn asks as she motions toward the pamphlets and papers Rachel has in front of her. Quinn takes a sip of her coffee as she reaches forward and plucks a piece of cantaloupe from Rachel's bowl of fruit and chews happily on it as she waits for Rachel's response.

Rachel chews nervously on her lip for a moment. She had wanted to do more research before she actually talked to Quinn about this, but it isn't like she's trying to hide it from her either and since she asked she might as well talk about it now.

"It's course information. You know I've been trying to find a new focus for my life. I need a distraction because the garage was the last project and now that you have it all set up there's nothing left to keep me busy throughout the day. And I've looked for jobs, I have, but you said you didn't want me working somewhere I'm not happy and I haven't been able to find anything that I believe would be both a suitable challenge and something that would keep me interested. So I was talking to Kurt and you know he has a catering business and he said there's been so many times when he's wished he had a party planner. He knows he'd get a lot more business if he could offer "one stop shopping" instead of having to be hired by the party planners. And then I thought, I'm a very organized person and I enjoy directing other people and organizing events. Why couldn't I be a party planner? Although, I think I prefer the title Event Coordinator."

Rachel pauses only to take a breath because she's a little bit afraid that Quinn will veto this entire idea simply because Kurt's involved. Her initial impression of the man had been tainted by the whole Sebastian debacle. "So I mentioned the possibility to Kurt and he was very excited. He said there are courses I could take either from the community college or even at PSU that would add credibility to my new occupation. He talked about maybe eventually expanding the business into a full service event business instead of just catering and he'd let me buy in as a partner if I wanted to. Of course, that's something that would be far into the future. At this point I thought that I might look into a few different courses and see what would be involved and if it's something I could see myself feeling fulfilled doing."

Finally Rachel looks up from the papers she's been fiddling nervously with through her entire speech and makes eye contact with Quinn. Relief washes away the nervousness when she sees the smile playing across the blonde's features. "What do you think?"

Quinn takes another sip of her coffee and looks thoughtfully at Rachel before replying.

"Well, as far as going into business with Kurt long-term I think you're wise to keep that as an option, but definitely don't rush into anything. Maybe instead of completely changing his type of business he could just advertise it differently. Now, as far as what it means for you, which is really all I'm concerned about," Rachel smiles at that, "I think it never hurts to look into it more closely and considering how excited you are at just the prospect, if you take the classes and you find this is something you want to do then of course I'll support you, Rach."

"Yah!" Rachel squeals as she claps softly, unable to contain her exuberance at Quinn's approval. "I think I'll be really good at it Quinn."

"I think you will, too," Quinn smiles as she steals a strawberry.

"You know if you wanted some fruit I have more cut up in the fridge."

Quinn smirks as she sucks the red juices from her fingertips. "Nah, I'm good," she says as she reaches for another strawberry.

They spend the next few minutes in easy conversation as they finish their coffees and Rachel's bowl of fruit. When they're done Rachel picks up her empty bowl and coffee cup and Quinn opens the screen door for her to enter the house.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to get a workout in, if you don't mind?" Quinn asks, looking toward the door across from the kitchen that leads directly into the garage.

Rachel shakes her head. "Go ahead. I'm going to go up and take a shower." As she passes by Quinn she gives her a quick kiss on the mouth and then places her dirty dishes in the sink and bounds up the stairs to do just that.

She turns the shower on to let the water warm as she quickly strips. She doesn't really notice that she's humming softly until she's actually in the shower, tipping her head back as she lets the warm water wash over her. She hasn't lost all hope that one day she'll be able to be on a stage again. She's imagined various scenarios, but unfortunately most of them have ended in the death of Quinn's father and everyone he's sent after them and she can't bring herself to wish for someone else's death no matter how beneficial it would be to her. But the hope is still there and she silently clings to it.

"I dreamed a dream in time gone by," she sings quietly as she works the shampoo slowly into her wet hair. She lets the music and the words flow through her naturally as her mind is occupied with thoughts of Quinn. She makes an effort not to sing around Quinn because she worries that it will make Quinn feel guiltier than she already does about Rachel having to give up her dreams of Broadway and she doesn't want Quinn to feel guilty anymore.

Rachel knows that Quinn can't hear her from the garage so she lets herself sing the _Les Mis_ song the way it was meant to be sung as she finishes her shower. She moves on to _On My Own_ as she dresses and does her hair and make-up. Forty-five minutes have passed before she's lightly stepping down the stairs still humming softly. She's on her way to get a glass of water when she hears voices coming from inside the garage. She opens the door and hears Sam Evans' unmistakable laugh. Quinn must have opened the garage door to get the benefit of the slight breeze.

Rachel takes in the scene quickly. There's a visible sheen of sweat on Quinn's skin as she chuckles at whatever Sam was talking about. He's in basketball shorts and a black and red tank that says _Blazers_ across the front. Tyler is standing at his side wearing shorts and a tank as well, only in orange and black and there's a large beaver on the front of his shirt. He has a small basketball and he's trying to bounce it, but he can only get a few dribbles in before he loses control and chases after it in order to start over. It hits his shoe and bounces toward the back of the garage and that's when he spots her.

"Wachel!" he cries out excitedly. "I wanna cookie."

Rachel and Quinn both chuckle, but Sam speaks up in a stern voice.

"Ty, you don't just demand things. If you're hungry we can go to our house and get you something. It's rude to just demand a cookie from Rachel. The polite thing to do is to wait to see if she offers you a cookie if she has any."

Tyler's face instantly drops into a pout and he looks toward Rachel expectantly. "I'm sowwy I was wude, Wachel. Do you have any cookies you could offa me?"

Rachel smiles delightedly and reaches down to ruffle the boy's hair lightly. "I wish I did, Tyler. I was actually planning on making some today. If it's okay with your dad you could always come over and help me bake them and then you can take a bunch of them home," she offers, casting a hopeful look toward Sam.

"Please Dad," Tyler immediately begins begging, "please can I come help Wachel make cookies. Please."

Sam smiles and looks questioningly at Rachel. "This afternoon?" he asks.

"That would be perfect," Rachel beams.

Sam looks down at the excited four-year old and smiles. "Okay, Ty, you can make cookies with Rachel, but you have to be a really good boy and really help her make them. Don't just play around and make a mess instead of actually helping her. And you have to listen to what she says and do what she asks. Okay?"

"Yah!" Tyler jumps around and does a little dance and everyone chuckles.

"That's his touchdown dance," Sam informs the two women. "He just started doing that a couple months ago. Cedes claims he's inherited her natural rhythm."

"Quinn's gonna teach me kawate, Wachel," Tyler says when he's finished his celebratory dance.

"She is?" Rachel asks with a smile, bending down so she can interact with the little boy at his height level.

"Yeah. She said I don't have to have a white dwess. I can just weaw my beavas jewsey."

"Well that's very nice of her to do that. You know karate is very important to Quinn and I've only ever seen her do it when she's wearing her white robe. Did you know it's called a gi?"

Eyes wide as he takes in this new knowledge, Tyler shakes his head no.

"It is and it's very special that Quinn's going to teach you in your Beaver's jersey. It means she likes you very much."

Tyler smiles wide. "I like huh too. And you. Youw the best neighbas. Daddy loves it when you sing. He says youw as good as Mama. Mama's not so shuw, but she wants to go do kawokey with you."

Rachel silently thanks her years of studying to become an actress for her ability to keep the smile on her face. She feels a knot form in her stomach and forces herself to speak even though her voice has suddenly gone extremely soft.

"Well, that sounds like a fun time."

She rises slowly to her feet and turns to lock her gaze on Sam. She can't bring herself to look at Quinn yet. She's too afraid of what she'll see there.

"You have an amazing voice Rachel. We heard you doing scales the other night when we were in the yard. Your window was open and it was like having front row seats to a Broadway show when you started singing that one song," he snaps his fingers as he tries to remember the title, "Cedes said it was from _West Side Story_."

"_Tonight," _Rachel supplies quietly. She remembers it from just a few nights ago. Quinn had been at work. She hadn't even thought about the fact that the windows were open and anyone outside could have heard her.

"Yeah, that's the one." Sam's smile is wide. He's completely oblivious to the sudden shift of emotion in the room. "We should really do karaoke one of these nights, though. Mercedes has a really great voice too and I'm not too shabby if I do say so myself. We usually have a lot of fun either way so you two should definitely join us."

"Quinn works nights a lot, but we'll definitely try to plan something," Rachel says with a smile. She needs to get out of there. She can feel Quinn's eyes on her and it worries her that the blonde hasn't said a single thing to try to get them out of karaoke night with the Evans. "Well, I'm going to let you two get back to your conversation. I have some things I need to get done before my little buddy here comes over to help me make a mess of our kitchen."

Rachel turns and hurries inside. She isn't entirely sure why she feels so uneasy. It's not as if Quinn will be upset with her for singing in her own home. She feels a nervous energy coursing through her and she tries to calm herself by putting the few dishes in the sink into the dishwasher. Now that she's moving she can't stop, but the kitchen is clean so she heads up the stairs because she knows there's enough clothes in the hamper to do some laundry. She's walking up the stairs when she hears the door leading to the garage open and close and she inexplicably quickens her step. She's being ridiculous and she knows it. Even if Quinn's upset with her there's no reason to fear or avoid the blonde.

She senses Quinn's presence at the doorway to their bedroom as she purposely keeps her back to the door and sorts the laundry into separate piles. When she refuses to acknowledge the blonde's presence Quinn walks to their bed and leans against it, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes searching. Still Rachel refuses to make eye contact and Quinn refuses to speak. They're at a standstill, but Rachel's the first to break because she can't stand the silence. Even so she keeps her words on an innocuous subject.

"I was going to do some laundry, but if you want to take a shower first I could go do some shopping first and then start the laundry when I get back."

"Okay," Quinn says quietly, "but first we're going to talk about what just happened."

Rachel remains silent but she's run out of clothes to sort and she doesn't know what to do next to keep her hands busy. She'd have more laundry if she stripped the sheets on their bed so she moves to pull the bedspread down, but Quinn's hand stops her.

Her voice is frustrated and slightly angry, but still controlled. "I thought we were done with this avoidance crap."

Rachel huffs. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about Quinn."

Quinn levels her with a knowing look and that damned raised eyebrow. "You know Rachel, I wouldn't have really thought much of what Sam said except for your reaction. Yeah, it hurt to find out that the reason I never get to hear you sing anymore isn't because it's too painful a reminder for you, but that you just don't want to sing around me. But I'm not going to hold that against you. What I don't get is why you're acting like I've discovered this horrible secret you've been keeping from me. He said you were doing scales. Have you auditioned for something? Please tell me you haven't auditioned for something."

She'd hidden her singing from Quinn to spare her feelings and she feels even guiltier now because it's backfired on her in such a way that now Quinn thinks that it's something she's holding against her. But she's also immediately upset that Quinn instantly thinks she's broken the rules of the program in some way.

"No, Quinn, I haven't auditioned for anything." Rachel mimics Quinn's crossed arms and takes a defensive stance. "If I were willing to risk my life for a role then I would have never left New York in the first place. My voice is my instrument. I have to keep it in shape and continue to practice if I don't want to lose all the years and work I've put into perfecting my use of it. And I don't want to lose it, okay. So maybe I'll never get to share it with an audience again. At least I'll have it. At least I'll know that I could out-sing anyone I came up against, especially Mercedes Evans. I've heard her sing and that woman puts so many runs in every song you'd think she was preparing for a freaking marathon."

Quinn snorts a laugh and it instantly dissolves the tension that had been stifling the room. Rachel smiles and tucks a stray piece of hair behind her ear, suddenly feeling shy because she hasn't felt that competitive in months and it feels familiar and strange all at the same time.

"I'm sorry I assumed you were breaking the rules. I know you wouldn't put us in danger like that, especially now that we're doing so well."

"It's okay," Rachel says quietly. "I can see how you would automatically go there. I don't exactly have the best track record and I was keeping my singing hidden from you." She doesn't miss the hurt that flashes in Quinn's eyes. Quinn's throat muscles contract as she swallows hard and Rachel knows the tell-tale signs of Quinn trying to control her emotions and keep herself from crying. "Quinn," she whispers as she reaches a comforting hand out to her girlfriend.

"It's okay," Quinn says quickly. "I totally get why you wouldn't want to sing around me anymore. I mean, it's because of me that you lost that dream. I get it."

"Baby, that's exactly why I haven't sung around you." She hears a choked sound barely escape Quinn's throat and she shakes her head. "Okay, that sounded wrong. What I'm trying to say is that I didn't want you to feel that way. That's why I haven't practiced around you Quinn. I was afraid that if I sang around you it would just make you feel guiltier about things that are not your fault. I don't blame you. You know this. I honestly didn't know they could hear me. I forgot about the windows being open. You know if I was going to sing for anyone else to hear me it would be you."

Quinn's quiet for a while and Rachel uses the time to close the distance between them. Quinn's still slightly sweaty from her workout, but Rachel doesn't mind. It reminds her of times when Quinn's sweaty for other reasons and she wraps her arms around the blonde's waist and leans against her, resting her head against Quinn's shoulder.

"I miss your voice," Quinn finally says quietly. "I promise I'll work really hard on not feeling guilty if you promise not to hide it anymore."

"I promise." Rachel places a soft closed-mouth kiss against Quinn's neck as if to seal her promise.

Quinn's arms wrap around her and rub reassuring circles along her back. "No more secrets, okay Rach. We have to keep too many secrets already with our friends. We shouldn't have any from each other."

"No more secrets. I promise."

(***********************)

It's only a few days later when she gets the phone call. Well, technically Quinn gets the phone call, but Rachel answers Quinn's phone because Quinn's currently in the shower after an afternoon run and Rachel sees that it's Mike on the caller ID so she doesn't think there's any harm in answering.

"Hi Mike," Rachel says cheerfully

"_Rachel, hey_," Mike says haltingly. "_I, uh, I'm sorry. I thought I dialed Quinn's phone_."

"Oh, you did," she replies as she tilts her head to hold the phone with her shoulder while she pours pasta and boiling hot water into a waiting colander. "She's in the shower right now though. We're having friends over for dinner tonight and she just got back from a run. Can I take a message?"

"_Oh, yeah sure. It's really good to hear that you guys are settling in so well_."

"Yes, it has been an adjustment, I won't lie about that, but your advice was very good and creating a new life here has certainly helped us." Rachel pops a small piece of the cooked pasta in her mouth and chews thoughtfully. "Perfect."

"_What's perfect_?"

"The pasta," Rachel answers. "So, what was the message Mike?" she asks to get him back on track and end the phone call quickly so she can get back to the sauce currently simmering on the stove top.

"_Oh, yeah, sorry. I just needed Quinn to make herself available sometime this coming Tuesday. State's Attorney Schuester's going to be flying in for a day and he wants to go over her testimony in person._"

Rachel's brow furrows. "Quinn's testimony? But she didn't see anything. She wasn't even in the building."

"_It's not for the Abrams case. It's for the Tanaka._"

Rachel feels as if a hot stone has suddenly settled in her rib cage as she tries to make sense of what the marshal is telling her. She realizes she's been quiet for a little too long and she doesn't want Mike to know that she has no idea what he's talking about.

"Oh. Tanaka, of course. Well, I'll be sure to let Quinn know that you called and she'll call you back to set up a specific time. It probably won't be until at least tomorrow. As I said, we're having guests over tonight."

"_Oh, sure. Thanks Rachel. Just tell her to call me when she has a chance. As long as it's before Tuesday._"

Rachel tells Mike goodbye and disconnects the call as calmly as she can. The phone trembles slightly against the countertop before her shaking hands are able to set it down. She places her palms against the cool counter and slowly lets the breath she's been holding out. Thoughts are swirling through her mind and she feels as if she's in one of those scenes required of mysteries or dramas when the heroine discovers some vital truth that she always had the clues to, but is just now putting together.

Rachel had assumed that Quinn had been allowed to enter witness protection with her simply to keep her from being alone and doing something stupid to reveal her true identity. She realizes now how naïve that was. Of course the government wouldn't care about her well-being or state of mind. All they care about is their case and putting Russell Fabray behind bars. She remembers now the news stories that immediately followed the arrest of the leader of the Fabray Organization.

The body of the young police officer she'd seen murdered had been removed before the police could get to the restaurant, but there hadn't been enough time to get rid of all of the forensic evidence and that along with Rachel's testimony was going to be enough to convict Russell. Even though many of the legal commentators had their doubts about the strength of the case Will had assured Rachel that it was enough to ensure a conviction. She clearly remembered the conversation she'd had over the phone with the State's Attorney and how he had assured her that she just needed to stay safe and hidden until the trial and then everything would be over.

When the story broke that a body had been dredged from the small upstate New York lake that sat on land registered in the name of Judy Fabray she had felt relief. It felt as if there wasn't quite so much riding on her shoulders. They had more evidence of Russell Fabray's heinous acts. She had followed the story for a few days. Just long enough to find out that until a more thorough examination of the remains could be completed they wouldn't officially release who the victim was, however many were speculating that it was the body of Federal Court Judge Ken Tanaka since he'd been rumored to have illegal dealings with Russell Fabray and suddenly went missing during a high profile case involving one of Russell's alleged employees.

She had let it all go. She let the routine of making a life with Quinn ease her worries and help her forget why they were even in Portland. She immersed herself in this role she'd created in her mind. Mike's call ripped her from the safety of her created fiction and bared the truth completely to her. It wasn't just her life. It was Quinn's as well. She had found peace in the idea that even if they weren't able to convict Russell with her testimony at least they had this other, completely unrelated, case that they could get him with. That would keep them safe. But according to Mike Quinn was tied up in this Tanaka business. She was in just as much danger as Rachel was.

Rachel hears movement above her and knows that Quinn is done with her shower. She glances at the clock and realizes that she has maybe fifteen minutes before their friends would most likely begin to arrive. Her movements are robotic as she fills a glass baking dish with the pasta and begins to add layers of sauce, vegetables, and dairy-free cheese. She's not sure whether to be angry or terrified. Terrified because she had honestly thought she was the only one of the two of them whose life was truly in danger. Angry because Quinn hadn't mentioned anything about this and just a few days ago had been adamant about there being no more secrets between the two of them.

Rachel slides the baking dish into the oven as Quinn enters the kitchen.

"Excellent view," Quinn murmurs as she brushes her hands across Rachel's bent over rear end.

Rachel blushes in spite of herself and rises quickly.

"Quinn," she chastises softly. Quinn answers her with a light slap on her ass and a chuckle before moving out to the dining area.

"I'm gonna open a bottle of that cab we got last week at Trader Joe's," she says as she opens the glass door of the bar and looks through the bottles until she finds the one she wants.

Rachel watches Quinn quietly from the kitchen. _God I love her so much._ She's struck by Quinn's beauty. Even in simple, casual attire the blonde exudes a grace and confidence that is unable to be masked. She doesn't know what she would do without her in her life and the idea of Quinn being taken from her fills her with such fear and dread that she nearly chokes on it. The bit of anger she feels at being kept in the dark slowly grows enough to push the other feelings down and a thought enters her mind that she can't seem to let go of.

"Does it ever feel to you like we're playing house?" Rachel asks softly.

A small smile flits across Quinn's face as she carefully pours the bottle of wine into the decanter. "_Playing_ house? No," she answers. "Maybe sometimes it feels like we skipped a bunch of steps."

Rachel nods her head. "Like the step where we figure out that you expect more of me than you expect of yourself?" She doesn't even try to hide the anger in her voice.

She doesn't miss the shock and confusion written across Quinn's face as she slowly places the empty wine bottle on the table along with the now full decanter. Her brow furrows. "What are you talking about Rachel?"

"I'm talking about the fact that you expect me to tell you everything and yet you continue to withhold pertinent information from me. What was it you said just a few days ago? No more secrets. Well apparently that only applies to me because you're still keeping secrets from me." The words come out quickly and her anger and frustration rise. She knows now is not the best time, but she can't hold it in. She feels as if she's been duped by Quinn and blindsided by Mike and she's angry and scared. Mostly she's scared, but even that comes out sounding angry.

Quinn reacts as if she's being attacked, which in a way she is. Her back stiffens and her eyes narrow. "Okay, I don't know what just happened, but you need to explain yourself because I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Mike just called wanting to set up a time to go over your testimony next week." She waits for a response from Quinn, some kind of tell to show that the blonde has been caught in her secrets and lies. She doesn't get one.

"Okay," Quinn shrugs. "I'll call him back tomorrow. But that doesn't explain why you're accusing me of withholding information."

"The fact that I had no idea you were even giving any kind of testimony doesn't explain why I'm upset? Why didn't you tell me you were testifying about Tanaka? Is it some kind of back-up plan so if I fail to be able to get a guilty verdict with my testimony then you can swoop in and save the day with yours?"

Quinn's eyes widen and then narrow. "Are you kidding me? First of all, of course I'm giving testimony. They don't foot the bill for witness protection unless you're giving them something in return. Secondly, do you honestly think I _want_ to testify against my own father? Do you think I want you to testify at all against him? If you'll recall, _I_ wanted us to run and give us time to let things cool down. You were the one who insisted on going to the police. I did what I had to in order to stay with you."

Rachel feels the burn of humiliation flush across her cheeks which doesn't help her gain control of the words flowing from her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot how self-sacrificing your actions were. Excuse me if my first inclination was to follow the _law _and your first inclination was to run. That doesn't change the fact that we've been here for months and you've never once mentioned that you were going to be involved in the case against your father. I would have thought _that _little fact at least deserved an honorable mention."

Quinn's jaw clenches so hard at Rachel's words and tone that the muscle juts out hard against her skin. "I never mentioned it because witnesses in a case aren't supposed to discuss their testimony with each other. If the state decided to have one trial for both counts of murder, which they most likely will, then I wanted you to be able to get on the stand and tell the defense attorney that is going to do his best to rip you to shreds on the stand that I've never mentioned anything about Ken Tanaka."

Quinn takes a deep breath. "It may be hard for you to understand, but as evil as he is, I actually love my father. He was decent to me and he loved me and I hate that I saw what I saw. I hate that you saw what you saw. I hate that I've been forced to betray him in this way, but it was either that or lose you forever and I wasn't willing to let that happen."

Tears form in the corners of Rachel's eyes as Quinn's words settle in her conscious. The accusations she threw at Quinn burn through her mind and she wants to sink into the floor. Worse than how that realization makes her feel is the way Quinn looks at her. With so much hurt in her eyes. She feels nauseous when Quinn whispers her next words.

"Knowing how you really feel about me makes me wonder if I made the right choice."

The chime of the doorbell interrupts anything else that may have been said. Rachel can't find the strength in her legs to move from her spot in the kitchen. She's still standing there trying to gain control of herself when she hears the boisterous greeting that Kurt and Blaine give Quinn as she opens the door to them. Rachel takes a deep breath and clenches her fists in the dish towel. They have company now. Sam and Mercedes will soon be joining them as well and she won't allow herself to break down in front of them.

"Kurt! Blaine!" she smiles brightly as she moves to kiss each of them on the cheek. She catches Quinn's hurt eyes over their shoulders and sighs softly when the blonde turns her back on her to open the door to their other guests. _This is going to be a long night_ she thinks before turning to Kurt to answer his questions about the meal she's prepared.

(**********************************)

"So, Sam. Mercedes. Tell us how the two of you met."

Rachel smiles across the living room at Kurt. She's thankful for the young man. She's had difficulty with conversation all evening. Her mind has been too preoccupied with her fight with Quinn. Quinn is normally quiet anyway and the emotional state she's in isn't helping her conversational skills. Kurt and Mercedes it appears have become fast friends and they've helped to keep the evening rolling smoothly along with the occasional additional comments from the other four attendees.

After a round of congratulations on a fabulous dinner they've all settled in the living room with drinks and Rachel was terrified that with nothing to keep their mouths busy the weight of having to converse would be too much to keep things going. But she knows that Kurt and Mercedes are excellent conversationalists and her reliance on them is not in vain.

Mercedes smiles lovingly at Sam as she links her fingers through his on the loveseat they're sharing. "We met at orientation our first week at Oregon State. He was wearing a _Star Trek_ t-shirt and I thought he was the handsomest geek I'd ever seen."

"_Star Wars,_" Sam corrects her softly, but his voice is kind and his eyes sparkle at the memory.

Mercedes waves her wine glass slowly in the air and rolls her eyes good naturedly to show it really doesn't matter to her. "Anyway, we were both attending from out of state and we commiserated on our homesickness. We started dating almost immediately and then six months later a little white stick turned pink and flipped our lives upside down. I decided to put off the rest of school so I could support Sam and he agreed to support me when he had his degree. So we got married and had Tyler and here we are."

"With or without Ty, I wouldn't want to spend a day without you," Sam says quietly. When Mercedes beams at his words he leans forward and gives her a chaste kiss on the lips.

"What about you and Blaine?" Mercedes asks.

Blaine smiles and turns a loving gaze to Kurt. "Open mike night at a little bar downtown. He bought me a drink and then we sang a duet."

Kurt smiles tightly and pats Blaine's leg with his hand. They're sitting on the couch diagonal from Mercedes and Sam. Rachel can feel Kurt tense slightly beside her and she worries about the apparent problems in her friend's relationship for a moment before she remembers the problems in her own relationship.

"Yes," Kurt says quietly. "It took a few months because Blaine here is such an indecisive fellow, but he finally agreed to be exclusive and we've been together, off-and-on, ever since." Blaine's smile slackens slightly, but he's careful not to project his hurt too much. It's obvious to everyone there that the two are having problems, but are seriously trying to work through them. Kurt sighs and decides it's best to move attention away from them.

"What about you and Quinn?" he asks Rachel. "How did you two meet?"

Rachel feels panic rise up in her chest as her eyes dart to the chair Quinn is sitting in across from her. She hadn't even thought about the possibility of questions like this coming up. _How stupid can I be?_ she berates herself. Of course their new friends would want to know about their lives. She finds herself staring blankly at Quinn for what feels like many awkward minutes, but in reality is only a few seconds. She's about to open her mouth and spew out some nonsense about a clandestine meeting on a train when Quinn's voice stops her.

"It was summer," she says softly, her eyes not meeting Rachel's as she runs her fingertips lightly over the lip of her nearly empty wine glass. "I was sitting in the park reading a book and all of the sudden my lap is full of this tiny brunette with yapping dogs running in circles around her tangled legs. She looked up at me with those soulful brown eyes and I was lost. I thought, my God, she's beautiful."

Quinn finally raises her eyes for a moment and Rachel's breath catches in her throat at the moisture she sees there.

"She'd taken a job as a dog walker and found herself unsuited to the task when she lost control of one of them." Quinn's lips quirk up slightly at the memory. "I was entranced. I knew I couldn't let her out of my sight without knowing her better so I offered to help her find the dog. We spent the rest of the afternoon together and I learned that her physical beauty was just a diminished manifestation of how beautiful she was inside. I loved her confidence and her sense of humor; her naïve innocence coupled with a seemingly deep understanding of what made people tick."

Rachel can't bring herself to break the hold that Quinn's hazel eyes have on her as her husky voice brings the rest of the room to complete silence.

"I had never met anyone like her, but what really drew me to her; what made me know for a certainty that I needed her in my life, was her goodness. Even in those first hours together searching for that stupid dog her goodness was so evident to me and I knew, right then and there, that was what I needed. I needed goodness in my life."

There's a brief heavy silence when Quinn finishes and then it's as if everyone lets the air out of their lungs at once.

"Good grief, Quinn. You may not talk much, but when you do it's nearly poetic. I think _I_ just fell in love with you a little bit. And we all know how crazy that is," Kurt says with a smile, "because blondes just aren't my type."

Everyone laughs. Thirty minutes later they're all saying goodbye and thanking Rachel and Quinn for a lovely evening. Rachel's been simultaneously looking forward to and dreading this moment most of the evening. She knows she needs to talk to Quinn, but she also feels awful about what she said. She made it seem as if she doubted Quinn's motives and that was not how she felt at all. She just wasn't sure Quinn would believe her.

When Rachel turns the deadbolt on the front door after watching Sam and Mercedes walk across the street to their house the silence that settles is deafening. She takes a deep breath and walks back into the living room. She watches quietly as Quinn moves quickly around the living room, picking up discarded glasses and bringing them to the kitchen.

"We could leave that to the morning," Rachel says quietly.

Quinn barely looks at her as she begins rinsing the red remnants from the glasses. "I'd rather take care of it tonight. You cooked, though, so why don't you head on up to bed anyway. I've got the cleanup."

Rachel hesitates. She scans the kitchen, realizing there really isn't much to clean up. It's mostly just glasses and plates. "Thank you," she whispers. She winces because she hates that she feels so unbalanced. "Will you be up in a few minutes then or were you going to watch some TV?" She knows it's lame, but she's desperate to try to get a conversation going with Quinn that won't lead to another argument.

Quinn's hand hesitates for a brief moment as she slides a plate into the dishwasher. She doesn't look at Rachel as she says, "I thought I'd just sleep down here tonight."

A painful burning feeling sweeps through Rachel's chest and she feels tears spring to her eyes. They haven't spent a night apart in nearly two months. She loves the warmth of Quinn's body nestled protectively around her and she can't stand the thought of being in the same house and Quinn choosing not to sleep next to her.

"Quinn, please," she cries softly, "please don't do that. Please sleep with me. I know you must hate me right now. You have every right to, but please don't put more distance between us."

Quinn grips the edge of the sink tightly and lowers her head. "God, Rachel. I don't hate you," she whispers softly and Rachel can hear the choked back tears in her voice. "I just don't think I can be that close to you right now. You really hurt me."

Rachel bites her lip as she tries to keep her own tears from falling. "I know and I'm so sorry. I'll stay on my side," she says desperately. "You don't have to touch me or anything. Just knowing you're there helps keep away the nightmares. Please Quinn."

She sees more than hears Quinn sigh. "I'll be up in a little while," Quinn finally concedes. Rachel's so happy she wants to rush to the blonde and wrap her in a hug, but she restrains herself and simply gives a quiet, "thank you", before heading upstairs to prepare for bed.

It's almost a full hour before she hears Quinn's soft footsteps padding across the carpet of the hallway. She watches her girlfriend's form move in the darkness of their bedroom, the only light coming from the moon shining through the small gaps in the curtains. She watches as Quinn walks to the dresser, hears the drawer slide slowly open and then the soft rustle of clothing. Quinn walks to the en suite bathroom and closes the door before turning on the light and now Rachel watches the small shaft of light shining across the seam of the door. She watches the shadow Quinn makes as she changes into her night clothes, hears the toilet flush and the water run as Quinn washes her hands, the soft purr of her toothbrush as she brushes her teeth. Then the light disappears and the door opens and Quinn's form once again pads nearly silently across the room. The bed dips slightly as Quinn settles in and stays completely on her side of the bed.

Rachel rolls onto her back to make it obvious to Quinn that she's not asleep, but she receives no response from the action. She stares at the ceiling for a long while as the silence between them seems to grow stronger and creep across her chest, choking her. "Did you mean what you said tonight?" Rachel finally whispers into the darkness. There's a long silence.

"About what?" Quinn finally asks.

Rachel frowns. She was hoping to drag Quinn into a real conversation by letting her choose what she thought Rachel was asking about. She decides to go with the most recent words haunting her. "About what you thought when we met?"

There's another long silence and then, "Yeah. I meant it. What I didn't realize at the time was that there's a reason that good and evil have been battling it out since the beginning of time. They can't co-exist. Evil will always drag what's good down with it."

Rachel turns quickly in the bed. "You're not evil, Quinn." Her voice is strong, adamant, assured. "You're not," she says again when she's met with silence. "You're good and caring and intelligent and so, so beautiful."

"You didn't seem to think that earlier. I got the distinct impression you thought I was a selfish, lying bitch who was keeping things from you so I could feel more important."

Quinn's words and the hurt and anger in her voice sting, but Rachel makes the decision not to lash out. That's what got her in this mess to begin with.

"I know that's how it sounded. That's how I wanted it to sound at the time and I'm so sorry that I hurt you. But mostly I'm sorry I said it at all because none of it was true."

"Part of it was," Quinn argues. "I did want to run. That was my first instinct."

"But it wasn't out of selfishness, Quinn. I twisted your motives for my own purposes and I shouldn't have done that. I apologize. You were just trying to protect me. I know that. Even as I was accusing you tonight I knew that, but I was so angry and scared I couldn't stop myself. Quinn, the way you protect me is one of the things I love so much about you."

There's silence between them again, but it doesn't feel as oppressively crushing anymore.

"Why were you angry? It felt like you just attacked me out of nowhere," Quinn says quietly. Rachel smiles softly when she sees Quinn move to her side so that she's now staring at Rachel in the dark instead of at the ceiling.

Rachel moves her hand away from her body and begins gently playing with the sheet between them. "I was angry with you for not telling me that you would be testifying as well. I was angry with myself for not realizing it; for just assuming that they let you come with me to make my transition into the program easier."

Quinn shifts slightly closer to her. "Rachel, I swear to you I wasn't keeping it a secret on purpose. I honestly thought you knew. I mean, you were there when we signed the final agreements to testify in return for protection."

Rachel sighs sadly. "Quinn, I was in such a daze the first week here. I had no real idea what either of us was signing. I just thought you had to sign things too in order to stay with me."

Quinn's quiet for a moment. "I can't tell you about Tanaka, Rachel. For the reasons I said earlier, I can't tell you. I have to keep it about facts and testimony. I can't let it be about anything else." Her voice chokes with emotion toward the end and Rachel realizes that whatever Quinn witnessed must have been just as awful as what she herself had.

"I understand," she whispers. She moves her hand slowly across the space separating them and breathes in relief when she feels Quinn's hand reach out and grasp tightly onto her own.

"So why were you scared?"

Rachel had hoped Quinn would have forgotten about that part, but she should have known better. Quinn never forgets anything.

"This entire time," Rachel begins quietly, "I thought I was the only one in real danger. I was afraid, but it wasn't," she pauses as she tries to find the right word, "debilitating. I kept telling myself that even if something happened and your father was able to find me and silence me before my testimony, you're his daughter and at least you'd be safe. I mean, he might be angry, but he'd forgive you because you're his daughter. When Mike said that you were testifying as well I suddenly realized that wasn't the case. I realized that he'll see your testimony as betrayal and he won't forgive that. He has to kill you to survive."

There are warm, silent tears leaking from Rachel's eyes as she pictures her life without Quinn. "I had found comfort in the thought that if I did die at least you'd be okay and then the lie of that was exposed and it terrified me."

"Rachel, you have to know that if anything ever happened to you I would _never_ be okay. You're my heart. I love you with everything I am. I would die protecting you."

Her words break something in Rachel and she doesn't care if Quinn's ready for it or not. She moves quickly across the space between them and wraps herself tightly around Quinn as sobs rack her body. Quinn's arms snake around her and she hears gentle shushes in her ear.

"Please don't leave me, Quinn," she manages to choke out. "Promise me you won't die."

"Rachel," Quinn soothes quietly. Her hand runs comfortingly through Rachel's hair; her other hand soothing circles across her back. "Sweetheart, you know I can't promise that."

A fresh wave of tears bursts from Rachel's eyes and she clings tighter to Quinn.

"I'll promise you this. I will do everything in my power to stay as safe as possible while keeping you just as safe. How's that?"

Rachel considers it for a moment. She knows Quinn's right. Promising her she won't die would just be blatantly lying, but what she's offered seems reasonable. She nods her head against Quinn's chest as her sobs slowly recede and she's comforted by their closeness.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, Quinn. I'm sorry if it made you think for even an instant that I doubt your motives. I don't. I'm sorry I made you question your choice of staying with me."

Quinn places a soft kiss against Rachel's forehead and then pulls her tightly against her own body, entwining their legs and getting as close as humanly possible. "I know you're sorry." She pauses a moment as if considering her next statement and then breathes out, "I forgive you. And I know I made the right choice. Keeping you safe and with me for as long as possible will always be the right choice."

Rachel feels an immense sense of relief. She feels light and safe tucked into the warmth beside her. She's still frightened by the new found knowledge that they are both truly in danger, but she knows there's nothing she can really do about it either except follow the program. She makes a new determination to make certain that they are never found. The last thing on earth she wants is for Russell Fabray to find his daughter.

Her mind travels back over their conversation as Quinn's chest rises and falls rhythmically beneath her cheek. She grazes her lips softly against the swell of Quinn's breast. She's not trying to start anything. They're both exhausted. She just needs the contact, the reassurance that Quinn is still with her. She wonders where they would be right now if she hadn't insisted they go to the police that night; if she had let Quinn take her on the run.

"Quinn?" she says quietly into the dark. She doesn't want to wake her if she's already fallen asleep.

"Hmm?" Quinn hums her response, but Rachel can tell that she's alert. It's confirmed when she feels Quinn's hands working against the hem of her sleep shirt and sliding slowly against the warm skin of her back.

"You remember when you were trying to convince me to run with you instead of going to the police? What did you mean when you said you had an account no one knew about?"

"My grandfather, my mom's dad, was wealthy. He worked hard his entire life and founded a few companies. As far back as I can remember Fran and I spent summers with him and Gran at their place. We called it The Ranch because they had horses and there was a lot of property, but it wasn't a working ranch or anything like that. I loved summers at my grandparents. It always seemed so magical. Santana and Brittany even came and stayed with us a few weeks during the summer. We'd go horseback riding through this small bit of woods on the property up to a small lake that Gramps called Golden Pond because he loved that movie, but I don't think it ever actually had a real name. Either way, Santana, Brittany, and I would spend all day up there swimming and running through the trees, playing games and make believe. Those were the best summers of my life until I met you."

Rachel smiles softly and presses her body tightly against Quinn's as she leans up and places a soft kiss to the underside of Quinn's chin. "How come you never took me there?" she questions softly.

"When I was fifteen Gramps was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He hated going to the doctor so it was already pretty advanced by the time Gran talked him into seeing someone. It was six weeks from the time he was diagnosed to when we lost him."

Rachel's heart breaks for the woman lying snuggly next to her. The pain and grief is obvious in Quinn's voice and Rachel realizes she must have loved her grandfather very much.

"Oh, Quinn. Baby, I'm so sorry."

Quinn takes a shuddering breath and then presses her lips to Rachel's forehead.

"Thanks," she says quietly. After a moment she continues, her voice showing that she now has her emotions back under control. "It was after Gramps died that I found out why Fran and I visited by ourselves. Gramps never liked my dad. He didn't think he was good enough for my mom. I guess they fought about it a lot when Mom and Dad were dating. He told her that Dad was a thug and would do nothing but bring her harm."

Rachel feels certain she would have liked Gramps and she's disappointed that she missed out on being able to know him.

"At some point it all came to a head and ultimatums were laid down. When Mom answered by eloping with Dad Gramps cut her off. He said she could ruin her life with the scum of the earth, but he wasn't going to let any of his honestly earned money be tainted with Dad's criminal lifestyle. He stuck to it, too. But I guess when grandchildren get involved the lines can become blurred. Mom was their only child which meant Fran and I were the only grandchildren they'd ever have so when Fran was born Gramps made a deal with my dad. He would set up a trust fund for each of us if he and Gran were allowed to have us to themselves for a few months each summer. At the time my dad wasn't running the territory. He was just a lieutenant and I think he said yes to make sure that no matter what happened Fran and I would always be taken care of because he hated Gramps just as much as Gramps hated him."

"I didn't know about any of this until Gramps passed on and his will was read. He left The Ranch to my mom, made sure Gran was taken care of, liquidated his interests in his businesses, and split the remainder of his assets into two trust funds; one for me and one for Fran. When I turned eighteen I got full access to it. I think Gramps wanted to give us the option of not being reliant on Dad and I considered using it for that, but I couldn't leave Santana and Brittany. Plus I knew too much to ever really be free of my dad's occupation so I figured what would be the point. Instead I drained the trust fund, split the money into multiple accounts, domestic and overseas. Some are even under different identities. Then I left it alone to gain interest. No one ever questioned me on where the money went. I think most people who knew about it assumed that I used it to buy my apartment and squandered the rest, but no one but me and Fran ever knew exactly how much was in the trust fund. Gramps had made sure of that." Quinn chuckles softly. "He really didn't trust my dad."

"So then the money you have hidden away is your trust fund. Do you mind me asking how much?"

"In total? It's over ten million at this point, what with interest and everything."

Rachel chokes on air. She rises a little so she can look at Quinn's face. In the little bit of moonlight illuminating the room she can see Quinn's amused smile and she laughs.

"Good grief, Quinn! We could have run in style!"

Quinn rises up a little and kisses Rachel. When she pulls back she shakes her head a little.

"I'm glad I listened to you that day. I'm glad we went to the police. Now we get the opportunity to do the right thing and we still have a back-up plan."

Rachel quirks an eyebrow up. "A back-up plan?"

"Mmhmm," Quinn answers. She draws a hand up from Rachel's waist and gently threads it through brown tendrils. "I told you sweetheart, no matter what happens I'm going to keep you safe. I know what strings my dad is capable of pulling. Even if the marshal's keep us safe long enough to testify there's no guarantee that Russell will be found guilty. If that happens or if our safety here is compromised then the money is our back-up plan. We'll disappear and no one will ever find us. The time we've had here has given me the time I needed to put together skip papers. Worst case scenario we learn new names again and fade into the background somewhere else."

"Skip papers?" Rachel questions softly.

"The documentation we'd need to start over. If I'd been thinking ahead I would have had them in reserve a while ago so I wouldn't have been scrambling to figure out what to do that night."

"You've thought of everything haven't you?" Rachel wonders softly against the warm skin of Quinn's cheek. She nuzzles against her softly as she presses her leg between Quinn's and hooks her knee around the blonde's to pull her closer. She loves the warmth and security she gets from lying next to Quinn.

"Hopefully," Quinn replies just as softly. Her hands move back down along Rachel's arms, then she slips her hands under the hem of Rachel's shirt and presses against the flesh of her back, pulling her tightly against her. Her hands run up to Rachel's shoulder blades and then back down. At the waistband of Rachel's sleep shorts she doesn't stop, pushing down past the barrier and squeezing the warm flesh in her hands.

Rachel gasps and pushes forward, her center pressing wonderfully against Quinn's thigh. She moves her lips slowly across Quinn's cheek until she reaches her lips. She kisses her lips slowly and then presses her tongue against the seam of Quinn's lips until they open and she's moving her tongue languidly against Quinn's. She moves her hands up the smooth plane of Quinn's stomach, pulling her t-shirt with her. She separates their mouths long enough to pull the shirt free of her body and remove her own as Quinn's hands press her shorts down to her knees and then she feels Quinn's foot glide up her leg until it reaches the shorts and pulls them the rest of the way down.

Rachel surges forward and presses Quinn to her back on the mattress as her hands move across her body. She touches every bit of skin that she can until she reaches the last article of clothing between them and then she expertly removes them. She drags her mouth slowly down Quinn's neck and places small kisses across her chest until she reaches her pert breasts. Quinn's chest is heaving beneath her and she can feel her hips moving beneath her in a familiar rhythm. Rachel swirls her tongue slowly around a hard nipple before sucking it into her mouth. Quinn's body responds the way it always does when she does this and Rachel feels herself flood with arousal.

"God Rachel, I love you so much," Quinn breathes huskily. She drags her fingernails lightly down Rachel's back until she reaches her ass and then she grips her tightly, squeezing and pulling her harder against her.

Rachel moans lowly as she feels Quinn's thigh becoming slick with her own arousal. She presses upward and gasps at how wet Quinn is as they move against each other. There's an audible pop when she releases the breast from her mouth. Her hands smooth down to Quinn's thighs and she presses one leg to the side to give herself more room as she shifts so she's no longer straddling Quinn's thigh. She whimpers at the feeling of Quinn's wet folds sliding against her own, the warm flesh and fluids mixing together, creating a delicious fusion that is both of them.

Rachel keeps her rhythm going as she presses forward and back and circles her hips against Quinn. She's breathing hard and there's a sheen of sweat breaking out across her back, but Quinn's hands are on her ass and her back and then back to her ass as she moves frantically beneath Rachel and all that matters right now is the intimacy she feels with the woman she loves.

"I love you so much, Quinn. So much," she gasps before leaning down and sucking Quinn's bottom lip into her mouth. She runs her tongue across Quinn's teeth and she can taste Listerine and a hint of mint toothpaste. She loses her breath quickly and has to move from kissing Quinn to resting her head against her shoulder as she drives her hips more furtively into the woman beneath her.

"You feel so good," Quinn gasps against her hair.

"So good," Rachel agrees. Rachel can feel the tight pull low in her stomach beginning to grow and she knows from the little shocks and tremors coming from Quinn that she's just as close. They've found a rhythm together that's working for both of them and every third or so thrust their clits brush against each other sending an electric shock through her body. Rachel just wants this feeling to last forever, but her body is telling her it can't. She feels Quinn's movements becoming more erratic and with the last bit of strength she has in her Rachel digs her knees and toes into the mattress to give her the leverage she needs and presses hard and fast into Quinn. Within seconds they're clinging to each other and shaking as their orgasms rip through their bodies in waves.

Rachel collapses against Quinn, her chest heaving with exertion, her muscles shaking from her release. She feels like her bones have turned to Jell-O. _Jell-O from the Big O_ she thinks and then chuckles lightly against Quinn's chest where her head is nestled.

"What's so funny?" Quinn asks softly, her own breath coming in harsh gasps.

Rachel shakes her head, but she feels so close to Quinn in this moment she doesn't want to hold anything back. "I just thought that my body's turned to Jell-O from the Big O and it made me laugh."

Quinn snorts gently in response. "Well, that was pretty amazing. You're amazing," she says as she places soft kisses against Rachel's forehead.

Rachel forces herself to move enough to rise a few inches up Quinn's body so she can nuzzle her lips against Quinn's neck. It's her favorite place. As if the curve of Quinn's neck was made specifically for her head to rest against.

"Quinn, can you do me a favor?" Rachel asks quietly after they've laid there long enough for their breathing to return to normal and the pounding of their hearts to calm to a natural rhythm.

"Anything," Quinn whispers and Rachel can hear that the blonde is now tired and nearing the point of falling asleep.

"I don't want you to treat me like I'm stupid because we both know I'm not, but could you please not assume that I know certain things. I just don't want any more misunderstandings between us. I think we need to communicate better. There shouldn't be any secrets between us and I don't want to think that you're keeping something from me when it's simply that you thought I already knew something. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Rachel raises her head to look into Quinn's eyes in the dark. They're just black pools but she can see enough of Quinn's features to know that she's seriously thinking about what she's asked.

"I can do that, if you can do something for me too." She pauses long enough for Rachel to nod her head. "If you learn about something that you think I purposefully kept from you don't let it ruminate in your mind until you feel so angry and betrayed that you lash out at me. Just talk to me. Tell me how you feel. I want to know those things. But when you attack me with what you've perceived to be a betrayal of your trust it hurts. It hurts that you think I'm capable of lying to you on purpose."

"I can do that," Rachel responds quietly. She leans down and seals it with a gentle kiss on Quinn's lips. She lies back down and snuggles in against Quinn, her body tired but her mind still running through the events of the day. "I sent a girl to a crack house once."

Quinn's body stiffens next to her and then she bursts out with loud laughter.

"What?" she asks as her body shakes as she tries to stop laughing. "Where did that even come from?"

Quinn's laughter is contagious and Rachel starts laughing too as she shakes her head. When they finally get themselves under control Rachel explains.

"You think I'm so good, Quinn, but I'm not. I'm not as good as you give me credit for. My junior year of high school there was a foreign exchange student who wanted to join glee club, but I heard her singing before her audition and she was _really_ good. Maybe even as good as me. When I gave her the audition information I gave her directions to a crack house. I mean it was abandoned, but still. When everyone found out they were so mad at me. She auditioned anyway, but then she decided to go to a rival school because she didn't think we'd be able to work together. I was thinking about myself and not the team or her safety. I think part of me was jealous not just of my spotlight or her voice, but she seemed so nice I knew that everyone would like her better than they liked me. They tolerated me because of my talent, but if there was someone in the club who not only had as much talent as me, but was also a nicer person then where would that leave me? So, I just wanted you to know because you think that I'm so good, but I'm not really."

"Rachel," Quinn says with a smile on her face as she runs her fingers gently along her spine, "you're the perfect amount of good for me."

Rachel smiles brightly and snuggles back against Quinn as she closes her eyes. "Really?"

"Really," Quinn breathes against her ear. "I love you sweetheart. You're the perfect amount of everything for me."

"I love you, too," Rachel says as sleep finally begins to tug at the edges of her mind. "I think we were made for each other because you're perfect for me, too." A contented hum from Quinn's throat is the last sound she's aware of before she falls into the darkness of sleep.


	9. Trouble

**Chapter 9: Trouble**

"Baby, stop glowering. You're going to get frown lines," Rachel says before pecking her cheek with a kiss and walking back into the house with the platter of grilled vegetables she'd come out for. Quinn turns her head and watches Rachel's hips sway slowly under the soft, clingy fabric of her dress. A smile spreads across her face. _That's one way to get rid of frown lines_, she thinks which makes her remember why she was frowning in the first place.

She angrily starts placing the skewered vegetables Rachel brought to her on the grill as she steals glances across the street toward the other occupied grill. It's Fourth of July weekend and the neighborhood is having a block party. She agreed to grill all of the vegetables so they wouldn't be contaminated with any meat products by being done on any of the other grills going. Loud laughter draws her attention back to the group she's been apparently _glowering_ at for the last half hour. She wishes now she hadn't felt pity for Puck and invited him. She purses her lips together as she places the last of the kabobs on the grill and lowers the lid to give herself a perfect view of Sam and Puck laughing about something, each of them with beers in their hands, as they stand over the designated "burgers and dogs" grill. What makes her angry is the petite brunette hanging on Puck's arm.

Another fresh tray of recently speared vegetables appears beside her and an instant later small, smooth arms are wrapping around her waist. She can feel Rachel's breasts pressed against her back and she shivers and then lets herself relax against her girlfriend. Soft lips press against her shoulder.

"Let's just enjoy the day, okay Quinn," Rachel says softly against her skin.

"I just," Quinn starts, frustration lacing her tone, "I can't believe he brought her. He knows I've been having problems with her. He knows she won't leave me alone. What was going through his mind when he decided to invite Mack, of all people, as his date to our Fourth of July block party?"

"Knowing Noah? He was probably thinking one of two things would happen. She would see how incredibly happy you are with me and realize that her attempts to woo you away from me were futile and he would be there to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and in his vernacular...get laid."

Quinn chuckles and nods her head because yes, that is probably what he was thinking.

"Or?" she prompts.

"Or he was thinking that seeing her blatantly hitting on you would make me so jealous that I wouldn't be able to control myself and I'd drag you back to our house and claim you as mine like some Neolithic cavewoman; thus ensuring that you both get laid."

A loud burst of laughter escapes Quinn's lips and she can feel Rachel's smile against the skin of her shoulder. She grips Rachel's wrist and pulls her around so she can look into her smiling brown eyes. Her hands automatically wrap around her waist and she tugs her close.

"And which scenario do you foresee playing out?" she asks huskily.

Rachel smirks lightly at her. "I'm not sure how Noah's night will end, but either way yours is going to end with me between your legs."

"Oh my God, girl. I did not need to hear that!"

They both jump at the intrusion, not realizing that Mercedes had walked up to them during their short conversation. Quinn's face flushes bright pink and Rachel's tinges slightly, but then she shrugs nonchalantly.

"If you don't want to overhear things not meant for your ears then you shouldn't sneak up on people," Rachel informs her.

"And if you don't want people overhearing the intimate details of your love life then you shouldn't be talking about them in the middle of the street," Mercedes counters with a laugh. She shakes her head as if to rid her mind of the mental imagery. "We've got the serving tables set up and we're starting to place the food. I was coming to see if you had any ready to add."

"Oh, yes," Rachel smiles. "I've been keeping them warm in the oven. I'll just be a minute." And then she scurries off to get the pile of grilled peppers, mushrooms, onions, and eggplant that Quinn's spent the last half hour grilling to perfection.

"So, that Mack chick is a real piece of work," Mercedes says quietly as Quinn turns her attention to the vegetables still grilling on the barbecue. Quinn raises a questioning eyebrow and Mercedes decides that's her cue to continue. "She's been not so subtly grilling me and Sam all afternoon about yours and Rachel's relationship."

Quinn's jaw clenches and she once again throws a dirty look Puck's way. "In what way?" she asks tersely.

Mercedes chuckles. "Rachel's told me about the problems you're having trying to get her to back off, but I honestly thought she was exaggerating. I'm kind of glad Puck brought her because now I can see for myself that she really isn't. That girl's been asking how long you two have been together, if we ever hear you fighting, that kind of thing. She cornered me in the kitchen a while ago and asked if I thought that Rachel satisfied you sexually."

"She what?" Quinn nearly screams.

Mercedes just laughs. "Don't worry. I told her that it really wasn't any of her business or mine, but judging from the sounds that come from your house when you forget to close your bedroom window that you were both incredibly satisfied."

Quinn just stares at the sizzling vegetables as they crisp up and brown. She can't bring herself to make eye contact with the woman currently chuckling softly beside her and she knows her face is absolutely beet red right now. Thankfully Rachel saves her by returning with a huge glass dish filled with their contribution to the neighborhood feast. Rachel immediately senses Quinn's discomfort.

"What did I miss?"

Quinn glances at Rachel, then Mercedes before focusing back on the grill and angrily uses the tongs to turn the grilling vegetables.

"We're getting air conditioning," she finally mutters.

Rachel's eyebrows furrow in confusion when Mercedes bursts into laughter.

"Here Rachel, I'll take those while you calm your girl down so we don't reenact Independence Day with any actual bloodshed," Mercedes laughs as she takes the dish from Rachel's hands. As soon as their neighbor is across the street Rachel slips her hand low along Quinn's waist and tugs her so she'll turn around and face her.

"Baby, talk to me," Rachel whispers softly. She tugs Quinn's hips flush against her and places soft, chaste kisses against her lips, her nose, her cheeks until she feels Quinn begin to smile. Rachel pulls back and looks into troubled hazel eyes. "What's bothering you Quinn?"

Quinn takes a calming breath. She works to keep her voice low so that only Rachel can hear her. "I hate that bitch. I hate that she's here celebrating our holiday with us. I hate that she's asking our friends about our sex life and that apparently, at the very least, Mercedes has heard us fucking because we left the windows open."

Quinn feels vindicated in her embarrassment when she sees a dark flush spread across Rachel's neck and cheeks. "Yeah," she confirms the thoughts she can see flashing through Rachel's eyes. "Let's just hope Mercedes is the only one that's heard us."

"I thought the fans going would mute any sounds," Rachel says quietly. "We'll definitely need air conditioning."

Quinn chuckles. She's really upset about Mack being there, but just holding Rachel in her arms ebbs the anger that rises in her each time she thinks about it. She wraps her arms around the brunette and nuzzles her neck gently with her nose and lips as they stand on the sidewalk in front of their house just holding each other.

"Quinn," Rachel says quietly into her hair, "I know you hate that Mack is here, but let's not let her ruin our day. Please. I just want to spend today holding your hand and eating with our friends and neighbors. I want to feel your arms around me as we watch the fireworks tonight and then I want to go into our house, shut the windows, and make love to you like no one can hear us. She hasn't even talked to you at all since they got here. Maybe she won't try anything while I'm around. Can you please just try to let it go, just for today?"

Quinn sighs and nods her head, still not pulling her lips away from Rachel's neck. She feels her tremble slightly when her breath washes over her skin and she smirks. How Rachel wants to spend the day sounds completely wonderful, but especially how she wants it to end. She draws her lips slowly up Rachel's neck until she reaches her ear and she pulls her earlobe into her mouth with the tip of her tongue and gently sucks on it. Rachel whimpers softly and her hands on Quinn's waist tighten their hold.

"I'm gonna fuck you so hard Rachel Berry. You have no idea," Quinn husks. She bites down softly on Rachel's earlobe before finally releasing her. Rachel's eyes are dark and her nostrils are slightly flared and Quinn doesn't even try to hide the smirk that graces her face. They just stare at each other for a long moment, searching each other's eyes as they imagine what the night will entail.

"Could you two stop eye fucking long enough to finish getting these vegetables grilled? Good Lord, you're as bad as a couple of teenagers," Mercedes interrupts again as she comes back to get the rest of the food.

Quinn quickly turns and removes the nearly overcooked vegetables quickly from the grill. They pile them onto the final platter and she links her fingers through Rachel's as they follow Mercedes to the group of tables set up in one of their neighbor's front yard. The amount and types of food available is almost obscene, but it's delicious and they end up sitting beside an older couple that lives four houses down from them that they haven't had much opportunity to get to know. It's a pleasant meal and Quinn doesn't let go of Rachel's hand the entire time.

Everyone's talking and helping to clean up the dishes and put the tables away when Quinn hears her name being shouted.

"Quinn! Quinn!"

She smiles and turns to see Tyler running along the sidewalk toward them from his house. He's traded his khaki shorts and basketball shirt for a pair of Lightning McQueen swim trunks and a red tank top. When she sees what he's carrying and notices Puck, Sam, and Mack following along carrying similar items she knows what he's so excited about. Rachel's walking past her with a trash bag and Quinn reaches out and grabs her wrist to keep her from walking away. Rachel quirks her head slightly and looks in her eyes for a moment. Quinn begs her silently to stay near because she doesn't want to be without her around Mack and Rachel seems to get this because she gives her a soft smile and a quick peck on her cheek, but she doesn't continue on her original course.

"Quinn! Wachel! Awe you guys gonna play in the watta fight?" Tyler's eyes are bright with excitement and he has a huge smile on his face as he holds a water gun in his arms that's almost longer than him.

"Oh, I don't know Ty. I'm not really dressed for a water fight," Rachel says with disappointment.

Tyler gives her a look and then points across the street to their house. "You can change. I had to change, too."

"Yeah, Rach," Quinn teases lightly at the four-year olds logic, "our house is right there."

Rachel laughs and swats at her arm. "Fine, fine. Let me finish helping clean up and then I'll change." She gives Quinn's hand a squeeze. "It'll be fine. She's surrounded by our friends and a four year old. She won't try anything," she whispers before heading off to get rid of the trash bag she's holding.

Quinn sighs as the three approaching adults finally stop in front of her and Tyler. Puck obviously came prepared because he's wearing what looks a lot like a flamethrower, except the water variety. He also has a belt with water grenades attached to it and a holster with a dark green water pistol. _Good grief. What a kid_ she thinks with a shake of her head. Sam is carrying a large pump action water shotgun and Mack has two pistols she no doubt borrowed from Sam based on the fact that they both look as if they belong on an episode of _Battlestar Galactica_.

"So how's this going to go?" Quinn asks.

Sam and Puck share a look and then Sam smiles. "I'm thinking boys against girls."

"Aww, but I wanted to make Quinn wet," Mack says with a smirk.

Quinn's entire body tenses and she's about to spring forward and wipe that look off the brunette's face when Tyler's voice stops her.

"You can't. You and Quinn awe on the same team. Only boys can get you wet cause you a giwl. That's how boys against giwls wooks."

Puck barks a laugh. Then he sees the daggers Quinn is glaring at him and closes his mouth.

"That's right buddy," Sam says awkwardly, "that's how it works."

Quinn decides to let Mack's remark go because she doesn't want to start an adult conversation in front of Tyler. She glares menacingly at Puck. "Boys against girls works for me." She jabs her finger sharply into Puck's chest and takes delight in the wince he can't hold back. "You're going down, Puckerman," she growls. She throws a glare in Mack's direction, daring her to make another innuendo. The woman remains silent, but she gives Quinn what she imagines is a sexy smile. Quinn huffs and stalks across the street to her house.

When the block party announcements had gone out stating that there would be a neighborhood-wide water balloon fight Quinn had been excited about participating. She'd only been in one water balloon fight in her life. The last summer she had spent at The Ranch when she was fourteen she and Santana and Brittany had asked Gramps to drive them into town. They got over a hundred balloons and each picked out a water pistol and when they got back home they eagerly filled up all of the balloons and split them between each other. It somehow turned into a battle between Quinn and Santana because neither of them really wanted to douse Brittany who spent most of the time sunning herself and sucking the water from her pistol. It was one of her favorite memories and she was looking forward to making a new one with Rachel.

She ducks under the garage door before it's completed its path and fully opened and walks over to an arrangement of shelving. She and Rachel had converted a portion of the garage into a workout space for Quinn, but there were still shelves for necessary storage and Quinn had stashed the water guns and bags of balloons here last week. She grabs a large white bucket and tosses the water pistols and balloons in the bottom of it. A frown crosses her face when she turns to find Mack standing in the doorway.

"Now this fits more with what I know about you," says Mack as she gestures toward the karate mats and practice dummy standing in the corner.

"I don't know how anything would fit since you don't know anything about me," Quinn answers. She walks back out of the garage and turns the corner to where a spigot comes out of the wall. She doesn't even look up at Mack as she fits the nozzle on the head of the spigot and begins filling and tying off water balloons, placing the full ones back in the bucket.

"Oh come on," Mack replies quietly. She leans seductively against the corner of the house, her legs just inches from where Quinn is bent over her task. "You can't hide how badass you are. It comes off you in waves. It's the first thing I noticed about you. Your sure movements, the way you exude this confidence that is so sexy, the way your strong fingers grip a bottle as you pour. I can just imagine what you're capable of with those fingers." Mack chuckles softly. "God, everything about you practically screams sex."

"What you're saying to me right now is inappropriate. I have a girlfriend whom I love and you need to walk away." Quinn doesn't even look up as she says it. Her goal for the day is to give Rachel the holiday she wants and getting arrested for assault again will not accomplish that so she just continues filling water balloons and wishing that Rachel would show up and scare Mack off. She's also planning all of the ways she can possibly make Puck pay for the situation he's put her in.

"Do I scare you Quinn?"

"No. You piss me off."

"You say that, but I think you feel a pull toward me and it scares you. You keep telling me to go away; keep reminding yourself that you have a girlfriend that you love. But look at this place. Look where she makes you live. In the middle of fucking suburbia where you have to keep your true self hidden and relegated to the garage. She stifles who you truly are Quinn. But I wouldn't do that. I'd let you be free. Let you be who you truly are. One time with me and I'd open you up to a whole world of possibilities."

Quinn drops the balloon in her hand angrily and rises. She gets right in Mack's face and growls, "You have no fucking idea who I really am and if you did you'd be more careful about what you imply about the woman I love."

Mack doesn't seem at all disturbed by Quinn's threatening stance, in fact she smirks and her eyes darken. Quinn suddenly realizes how close they're standing and she moves to step back but Mack grabs her arm and keeps her from moving temporarily.

"Just once Quinn. Your perfect little girlfriend would never have to know, but I promise you one time with me and you'll never be the same," Mack says lowly as she keeps a tight hold on Quinn's arm and runs the fingers of her free hand along Quinn's hip.

It's only a second and Quinn is twisting her arm free and stepping away. She's raging inside that this woman has the audacity to try to seduce her at her own house with her girlfriend just yards away. _Fuck it_ she thinks. She's pretty sure Mike could get her out of trouble again. She's about to let her fury loose and scream and rage against this girl that won't take no for an answer when she hears Rachel's voice just a few feet to her left.

"Wow, baby, you weren't exaggerating."

Quinn takes another step away from Mack. She's not sure how much of what just happened Rachel saw and she doesn't want any misunderstandings. Rachel's lips are pursed in a tight smile, her brown eyes focused clearly on Mack who doesn't even have the good grace to appear ashamed.

"So you talk about me?" Mack smiles at Quinn as if this proves everything she's just been saying to be true.

"Yes, we talk about you," Rachel replies as she moves a few steps to stand beside Quinn.

Quinn's entire body is tense and on alert. She's ready to defend herself to Rachel, but the woman hasn't looked at her once since she made her presence known. Rachel's only focus appears to be the brunette still leaning casually against the wall of their house. Quinn relaxes slightly when she feels Rachel's arm slip along her back and grip her waist.

"I have to admit I didn't think it was this bad," Rachel continues. Her voice is calm, conversational, but Quinn can feel the muscles in her arm and she knows how wound up her girlfriend really is. "I mean I knew you had no respect for Quinn, but to not even respect yourself. I feel so badly for you Mack. You must have had some really awful things happen in your life to have such low self-worth."

Mack instantly straightens, her eyes flashing anger.

"What are you talking about? I respect myself. I respect Quinn. I've never even met you before today. You don't even know me."

"Oh, but I do know you Mack. Every time Quinn comes home upset because of your unwanted advances I get to know you a little bit more. All this time I thought it was just Quinn that you didn't respect, but now I see it goes much deeper than that. The very fact that you continued to hit on Quinn after she told you that she was happily involved with someone else told me that you have no respect for her. If you respected her at all then you would respect the relationship she chooses to be in. You would respect her wishes for you to stop your romantic intentions toward her, but you didn't and that told me so much about you."

Rachel very deliberately moves her hand from Quinn's hip and slips it into the back pocket of Quinn's shorts. Quinn's breath falters slightly at the warmth of Rachel's palm cupping her ass. She turns to look at Rachel, but the brunette still won't make eye contact. Quinn fights the smile threatening her face when she realizes that Rachel's focused on her prey and she decides to just relax and enjoy the show.

"I feel so sad for you, Mack. It's so important to have self-respect. I mean, sometimes that's all we have in life, you know; the respect we have for ourselves."

"I respect myself," Mack grinds out between her clenched teeth. She's so angry that tears are actually forming in the corners of her eyes.

"You obviously don't. If you did you wouldn't have just blatantly thrown yourself at someone who has made it very clear that they're not interested in you. And in front of their girlfriend, no less." Rachel huffs softly and sighs as if she just feels so awful for this poor unfortunate soul. _Great. Now I have that song in my head_ Quinn thinks.

"You're just jealous," Mack seethes. "You know that if you weren't around Quinn wouldn't hesitate to be with me."

Rachel laughs. Like, really laughs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," she laughs as she wipes fake tears from her eyes. "I know I really shouldn't have laughed at that. It's important to be careful how you interact with people that have such low self-worth, such as yourself. I wouldn't want to make you think any worse of yourself than you already do. I would never want you to feel like a lying, whoring slut." Rachel's eyes narrow and her voice suddenly drops to a low register that makes Quinn's spine tingle. "You're already doing such a good job of that yourself you don't really need any help. Do you Mack?"

"You're a fucking bitch!" Mack yells and Quinn sees a few heads turn their way from the neighbors milling around in their yards preparing for the water fight.

"Maybe," Rachel hisses, "but you're a fucking slut and Quinn prefers bitches. Now I suggest you remove your skanky ass from our property right this instant and if you ever lay a hand on _my girlfriend_ again she'll be filing harassment charges against you."

Mack makes what sounds like a combination between a growl and a scream and then stalks off calling for Puck.

Quinn didn't even realize she was holding her breath until it comes out in a rush. She gives a short laugh and turns into Rachel wrapping her arms around her waist and pulling her tight against her. She can feel the petite woman shaking.

"So I prefer bitches, huh?" she asks with a smile.

Rachel gasps. "I'm so sorry, baby. You know I didn't mean that. It just came out. I've never been so angry in my life," she seethes quietly. "The audacity of that girl to come after you right here in front of me is just incredible. I wanted to rip her hair out."

Quinn chuckles again and slides her hands down Rachel's back until she's palming her ass. "I think it was sexy as hell. Do you have any idea how much I want to just take you inside and fuck you right now?" She feels Rachel shiver and she smirks.

Rachel sighs. "We can't. I'm going in to change and you need to finish filling those water balloons. I'll come help when I'm appropriately dressed."

Rachel pulls slowly away from Quinn's hold on her and starts to head inside. Quinn doesn't take her eyes off her the whole time. She is completely enamored with her girl. Rachel stops when the door is halfway open and turns to shoot Quinn a determined look.

"Oh, and Quinn? We're going to destroy Noah," she says before disappearing inside. Quinn smiles widely. She can't wait.

(*********************)

Quinn hears Rachel's scream coming from the direction of the Evans' yard and quickly caps the gun she'd been refilling before taking off at a run. She sees a flash of red flying through the air to her right and ducks in time to miss being hit by the missile even though some of the water splashes against her legs as the balloon bursts a foot away from her. The boys are playing like it's a _Call of Duty_ mission. They've placed ambushes around the neighborhood and a couple snipers on opposite sides of the street.

Quinn's about to round a couple of cars parked against the curb when she sees a shadow move from between them and she veers quickly, barely avoiding the water grenade that goes flying by her head. She grabs two balloons from the pouch hanging across her shoulders and laughs as they burst against the chest of the fifteen year old that lives around the corner from them.

"Sam Evans you better not get any water in that house!" she hears Mercedes scream and she chuckles. Sam's standing on a short slope of their roof and the window behind him is wide open. Tyler's feeding him fresh balloons and he's bombarding a desperate Rachel as the brunette dances around avoiding the majority of them in her effort to spray Puck with the hose she's commandeered.

Quinn's at an angle where she knows none of the balloons she throws will go in the window. She pulls out another balloon and blindsides Sam with a direct hit to his stomach. Rachel realizes the balloons have stopped bursting around her and then spots Quinn out of the corner of her eye and laughs maniacally.

"Quinn, cover me!" she yells as she pulls the handle on the spray nozzle attached to the hose the boys had been using to fill their guns and balloons and lets loose on a desperate and completely drenched Puck.

Quinn hadn't realized it until about an hour ago, but her girlfriend was kind of a master strategist. Rachel had pointed out immediately that in a battle between the sexes brute force would always go to the boys, but if they wanted to win then they would have to be smarter. This meant stationing the majority of the girls playing as defense around the supply of water while sending in wave after wave of girls to infiltrate the lines of the boys and eventually cut off their supply of water. Rachel had finally succeeded and there was no way she was letting it go now.

"Tawanda!" Quinn yells as she pegs Sam with another balloon to the back after correctly anticipating which way he would turn to try to avoid the balloons she was sending his way. With the agreed upon call to arms girls of every age and size suddenly swarm the area armed to the teeth with water guns and bags of balloons. The boys supplies had diminished over the hour of play while the girls had been busily stockpiling and they were quickly overrun and drenched from head to toe.

"Batten down the hatches!" Sam calls over his shoulder as he grabs his large shotgun and blasts a stream of water at Quinn. She gets hit square in the chest but quickly moves to cover behind a rose bush in the yard. She sees Tyler shove a large box of full balloons out the window before she hears it slam shut and then there are balloons bursting all around her. She looks down at her soaked shirt and shorts and shrugs. _What the hell_ she thinks. She jumps from cover and blasts Sam with balloon after balloon as he twists and turns across the roof trying to avoid her and failing miserably.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

At Puck's cry of defeat Quinn turns and laughs loudly at the sight of the muscled man on his knees looking as if he's just crawled out of a pool of water with Rachel standing triumphantly in front of him brandishing the hose. Peals of laughter can be heard throughout the neighborhood and Quinn laughs as she goes to hug Rachel in congratulations.

"Great job sweetheart," she laughs against the grinning girl's cheek. At that exact moment she feels the sting of a balloon bursting against her back. "Aaahh!" she cries out. Quinn turns quickly to see who just hit her and gets hit again as another balloon bursts against her chest. Rachel's laugh registers in her ear at the same instant that she realizes the culprit is Tyler who's come out of the house ready for a fight.

"Get her Ty!" Sam cries from the roof as he unleashes the remainder of his balloons.

Quinn twists and turns as she tries to avoid the balloons without leaving Rachel alone to defend herself. It's barely thirty seconds before Sam and Tyler are both out of balloons and water is dripping from the ends of Quinn's hair, her t-shirt and shorts completely soaked. She's thankful she thought to put on a bikini top instead of just staying in her bra as she looks down at the dripping mess she's become.

Quinn raises her eyes slowly up to Sam who seems to suddenly realize that he's out of ammunition and that he's nullified any kind of peace agreement by firing after a surrender had been called. Quinn grins and reaches for the hose still in Rachel's hand.

"Not the best idea you ever had Sam-wise," she calls as she levels the stream of water at him. Sam lets out a yelp and spins to try to get away, but the roof is slick from all the burst balloons and his foot slips. Quinn feels her heart clench in her chest as everything seems to suddenly slow down. Sam's legs hit the tiles of the roof hard, but his momentum is too much to keep him lying there and his hands grasp for a handhold as he slips down the short slope. It's in the last instant that both she and Sam realize that Tyler's still standing in the yard just below him. Quinn registers the terror in Sam's eyes and the added desperation to his fingers clawing at the eaves. His fingers grab the gutters and his body jerks to a stop for the milliseconds of time it takes for Quinn to drop the hose and shoot forward, scooping Tyler up and continuing her momentum until they're clear of Sam seconds before there's a crashing sound as the gutter rips free of the house and Sam and bits of plastic crash to the grass below them.

"Sam!"

"Tyler!"

"Quinn!"

Puck, Mercedes, and Rachel all yell at the same time.

Quinn gives Tyler a reassuring smile before handing him over to Mercedes. Puck and Rachel are already gathered around a groaning Sam.

"Daddy fell!" Tyler suddenly realizes and tears fill his eyes as his lips tremble and he bursts into tears. The commotion has drawn a small crowd and Quinn kneels quickly beside Sam.

He's lying prone on his back with his legs bent at the knee and he's weaving them back and forth as if he's trying to prove that he has full movement. It's then that she realizes he is because Rachel won't let him get up until she's gone through all possible head and neck injuries. Quinn smiles softly and looks up at the roof. It's barely a ten foot drop. Sam most likely only had the wind knocked out of him.

"Okay. Now how many fingers am I holding up?"

"Rachel, honey," Quinn says softly as she grabs the hand currently swaying three fingers in front of Sam's face. "Sam. Man, you okay?"

"Yeah," Sam winces, "just catching my breath." He reaches his arm up and Puck locks hold of his hand and helps him up from the ground.

Rachel squeezes Quinn's hand hard as Sam groans loudly again and arches his back. When he straightens he shakes his head slightly as if to clear away some cobwebs and then shoots them a large reassuring grin. He then turns his attention to his wife as she tries to comfort their still crying son.

"Hey Little Man, what are you crying about? I'm okay. See?" Sam says as he pulls Tyler into his arms. The little boy instantly tries to stop crying, but he's worked himself up into a hiccupping and sniffling mess. Sam and Mercedes have a silent conversation of the head of their son that Quinn interprets _as Are you okay? I'll be fine. You would be fine if you had listened to me and never got up on that damn roof. I know. It won't happen again. It better not._

As the Evans talk quietly to their son the small group of neighbors that had gathered begin to disperse back to their own yards. The water fight is pretty much over with only a few of the older children continuing with small skirmishes. Quinn tugs gently on Rachel's hand and the brunette turns wide brown eyes on her.

"You wanna go get dry?" Quinn asks with a smile as she tucks a strand of dark wet hair off Rachel's forehead and behind her ear.

"Do you really think he's okay?" her girlfriend asks her worriedly.

"He'll be incredibly sore tomorrow, but he'll be okay."

Rachel nods as if Quinn's word is enough to set her mind at ease. They're halfway across the street when Sam calls out.

"Quinn!"

She turns without releasing Rachel's hand and locks her hazel eyes on grateful blue ones.

"Thank you," he says with all the emotion of a grateful father who would have never forgiven himself if he'd caused injury to his son.

Quinn shrugs her shoulders as if there's no need because really, there isn't. She already partially blames herself for making the roof as wet as it was.

"Not necessary," she replies quietly before continuing with Rachel to their house.

"I didn't think ahead to bring towels outside," Rachel laments. "We're going to track water all through the house."

Quinn looks at her thoughtfully as they stand at the front door, a puddle of water forming on the cement porch beneath them. "We could go through the garage to the kitchen and take our clothes off there. It would limit the water mess. Or we could just wait out in this heat until we're drier."

Rachel bites her lip gently and glances so quickly at Quinn that she's unable to catch the meaning of the look. "Kitchen," Rachel responds before she's scampering across the pavement and disappearing through the wide open garage door.

Quinn chuckles softly at her antics and follows her, being careful to avoid the side of the garage devoted to her karate. She was only a few seconds behind Rachel, but she realizes just how quick her girlfriend is when she closes the small door leading into the kitchen from the garage behind her and finds a very naked brunette standing in the kitchen with a wicked smile on her face. Quinn's breath falters and her lower stomach clenches in a very familiar feeling of arousal.

"You never fail to surprise me," Quinn says softly as she flips the lock on the door behind her, just in case Puck decides to sneak in for a beer. She licks her lips slowly as she moves into the kitchen and stops inches from Rachel. Her brown eyes are already dilated and dark and her small breasts are rising and falling quickly with her breaths. Quinn runs the fingers of her right hand gently up her girlfriend's arm, watching as goose bumps rise against the tan flesh.

"I wanted to do this hours ago; after the confrontation with Mack," Rachel says huskily. Her fingers move to the hem of Quinn's t-shirt and she pulls it up and off the blonde quickly.

Quinn barely registers the cloth slipping past her face before Rachel's mouth is on hers, her tongue teasing its way past her lips easily. Quinn's hand reaches the nape of Rachel's neck and she twists her fingers through damp tendrils. Using the grip she now has on Rachel she gently tilts her head at an angle and slants her mouth across hers, sliding her tongue along Rachel's until she's in her girlfriend's mouth. Rachel whimpers softly in response and Quinn feels as if her entire body is suddenly on fire.

She takes her time with Rachel's mouth, sucking first on her bottom lip, then her top, licking slowly along the seam of her lips before plunging her tongue back into the wet, warm depths she loves so much. Rachel lets her take the lead for a while, but then Quinn feels her hands tugging at the string to her bikini top and in the next instant Rachel's mouth is gone from hers and Quinn's gasping as her hard nipple is sucked forcefully into Rachel's mouth. When Rachel bites down slightly harder than Quinn was expecting she jolts with pain and an unexpected pleasure.

"Shit, Rach." She tugs slightly on the hair still between her fingers.

"Sorry," Rachel mumbles. She places a soft kiss against the bright red mark in apology.

"Mm," Quinn grunts softly, "s'okay." She's panting heavily already and she lolls her head back in pure pleasure as Rachel makes out with her breasts. She uses her tongue and her teeth and her lips and Quinn's not sure Rachel's ever spent so much time just kissing her chest. Her panties are ruined and she shifts her legs in an effort to release some of the pressure building between her thighs.

Rachel finally moves up from Quinn's now heavily bruised and wet breasts and begins placing open mouth kisses along her neck, stopping to suck in the places that always make Quinn whimper and moan. Her fingers move down to the button of Quinn's shorts and she makes quick work of opening them up. Her hands slip along the hem and down Quinn's ass, pushing them off her hips and there's a heavy thud as the wet garments land on the cold tile of the kitchen floor.

Rachel seems determined to finish her earlier thought. "I just kept thinking," Rachel pants against Quinn's skin, "how part of the fun is the anticipation." She gasps and Quinn smiles in triumph at having restored at least a little equilibrium to their encounter when she tweaks Rachel's hardened nipple between her thumb and forefinger. Her other hand moves down Rachel's side and grasps her hip, tugging the brunette close so their naked bodies stand flush against each other. "Fuck, Quinn."

"And then you looked so hot, all wet from the water fight, and I thought, ungh god, I thought there was no way on Earth I could want you more than I already did."

Quinn grins at the admission. She's felt mildly aroused nearly all day. It was nice to know that Rachel had been in the same predicament. Even though they'd been together for so long it was reassuring to hear that Rachel was just as attracted to her as she was to the brunette.

"I felt the same," she affirms. "I need you Rach," she breathes out. Rachel responds to her immediately, her mouth crashing against Quinn's repeatedly as her fingers tug at flesh in their need to be closer.

"Then when you saved Tyler from certain injury," Rachel pants into her mouth, "God, I just….I love you so much," she nearly cries against Quinn's lips.

Quinn's heart swells in her chest at the emotion she hears spilling from her lover's lips.

"I love you too, sweetheart. So much," she gasps into Rachel's mouth. She slides her tongue heatedly against Rachel's as she moves her hand across Rachel's hip and dips her fingers down to finally touch against the wetness she knows is there. "Fuck, you're so wet," she growls at the feeling on her fingers and the way Rachel's hips press forward at the contact.

"Wait," Rachel suddenly gasps as she pulls her head back slightly but then dives back in for another hungry kiss as if she can't stand to not be tasting Quinn for even a few seconds. "Not here…I can't…in the kitchen," she says between heated kisses.

Quinn smiles against Rachel's lips. She knows how Rachel feels about sanitation in the kitchen. Reluctantly she pulls her fingers away from the slow circles she'd been rubbing against Rachel's sex and wraps her hands around Rachel's ass cheeks. "Up," she grunts as she lifts and Rachel gives a little hop and wraps her legs around Quinn's hips. Quinn gasps at the feeling of Rachel's wet pussy slipping and grinding against her stomach because Rachel can't seem to keep her hips from moving and she has to steady herself against the fridge for a moment.

Quinn's breath is ragged as Rachel attacks her neck, giving the blonde the breath she needs to move them out of the kitchen without having to break the contact her mouth seems to need with any part of Quinn's skin. If Quinn had any coherent thought right now she would move them into the living room and lay Rachel down on the couch, but at this moment she's so far gone the only words going through her mind are _fuck, Rachel, _and _bed_. So instead of taking the easiest route to an acceptable fucking place, which for Rachel is anywhere private that isn't a kitchen, she tightens her grip on the warm, firm flesh in her hands, pushes off the fridge, and turns down the hallway and up the stairs.

She makes it to the third step before an especially firm suck on the flesh just under her ear makes her falter. She realizes she's about to fall and she doesn't want to hurt Rachel so she twists slightly and lands with a grunt against the wall and then slides down the short distance to the steps.

"You okay baby?" Rachel gasps with concern.

Quinn grunts softly. She's pretty sure she's going to have a nasty bruise, but Rachel's hips are still moving against her and the amount of her arousal she's leaving on Quinn's abdomen is making it impossible for her to even care right now.

"I'm fine sweetheart. I want you so bad." The needy sound in her voice surprises even her, but it apparently really gets Rachel going because the brunette makes this noise somewhere between a growl and a whimper that just makes Quinn flood.

She wants to flip Rachel onto her back and just fuck her, but Rachel's legs have her trapped and the way she's leaning halfway against the wall and the stairs keeps her from getting the leverage she needs. It seems Rachel has other ideas anyway because her hands take Quinn firmly by the shoulders and she pushes her down against the ridge of the stairs, pulls her left leg out from underneath Quinn and plants her knee firmly on one of the stairs and moves her head down to once again engulf Quinn's breast in the delirious warmth of her mouth.

"Ahhh, fuck!" Quinn cries out when two of Rachel's fingers slide forcefully inside her so hard she almost comes on the spot. Her hands reflexively squeeze from the shocks of pleasure shooting through her body and since she still has a tight hold on Rachel's ass she hears a sharp cry from the woman's mouth and teeth scrape against her collar bone as Rachel thrusts hard against Quinn's thigh.

Rachel's mouth finds her again and Quinn knows Rachel's close with how frantically she's thrusting against her thigh at the same time that her fingers are pounding into Quinn.

"You're so fucking sexy," Rachel pants against Quinn's open mouth. They can't even find the concentration to kiss anymore their bodies are working so hard toward that edge they both want and need to fly over. Rachel's forehead rests against Quinn's and they pant into each other's mouths as Rachel continues to push both of them toward climax.

Quinn lets her body do what comes naturally as she thrusts her hips into Rachel's fingers as they piston inside her and she moves her thigh hard against Rachel's grinding hips. Rachel's breath is hot against her mouth and she wants to tell the brunette how sexy and beautiful she is and how much she loves her and how she can't imagine a day without her and how her life didn't feel real until Rachel was in it, but all she can seem to get out is Rachel's name over and over and over again until her body goes rigid and she clenches down and Rachel's fingers push harder into her and then Rachel's body is shaking and she bows her head against Quinn's neck and Quinn's thigh is covered in the warm rush of Rachel's climax.

"Fucking hell," Quinn breathes out after she finally regains a semblance of a normal heartbeat. She smiles when she feels Rachel's body shake as she chuckles gently. Quinn moves her hand slowly up the plane of Rachel's back until she reaches the messy tendrils of brown covering her sweaty brow. She pushes her hair back gently until she can see those beautiful brown eyes gazing lovingly at her and she smiles before leaning down and placing a soft kiss to her bruised lips.

"Let's get off these stairs," Quinn says quietly as she continues to place small kisses across Rachel's face, "and get upstairs. I want to taste you." Rachel hums in agreement and awkwardly begins untangling herself from Quinn.

It's at that moment that there's a loud knock on the front door and then the sound of the knob turning and the door being pushed in. Quinn sees the wild panic in Rachel's eyes and knows that it must be reflected in her own.

"Hey, Q!" Puck calls as he enters the house.

"Stop!" Quinn yells from her position under Rachel who's now frantically pulling herself free and scrambling up the stairs on all fours like a puppy just figuring out how their legs work.

"I was just wondering if I could grab a beer," Puck says in response and Quinn can tell he hasn't listened to her because his voice is suddenly closer. She has about a foot and a half of space until he catches her completely naked and she flips over and scrambles quickly up the landing to where the stairs double back on themselves. She's barely out of sight when she sees his nearly shaved head come into view.

"What the fuck Puck!" she yells from the safety of the bit of wall now blocking her from view.

Puck looks up the stairs in surprise. He can just see the top of her head leaning over the banister. "It's just a beer, Quinn," he says with irritation before ignoring what he imagines is probably a death glare if he could see her eyes.

Quinn growls in frustration but decides she needs to get dressed before she can pummel the intruder and heads up the rest of the stairs. She's at the door to her and Rachel's bedroom when she figures that Puck realized what he walked in on from the debris of clothes they left on the kitchen floor because she hears his raucous laughter coming from the kitchen followed by a very loud, "Hot fucking damn!" Quinn huffs an irritated breath and hurries into the room to get dressed along with her now very embarrassed girlfriend. She's going to fucking kill Puck before this day is over. She swears it.

(**************************)

Quinn tips back the bottle of beer in her hand and finishes the rest of it in one long pull. She smiles lazily as Sam watches carefully over Tyler as he waves a sparkler slowly through the air. The sun set a few minutes ago and dusk is quickly falling over the neighborhood. She leans back in the lawn chair she's sitting in and listens to the mix of voices as neighbors laugh and talk together in the gathering darkness. There's an excitement in the air; an anticipation for the light show that's soon to begin and it's only heightened by the soft sizzling of a few sparklers being dragged through the air and the occasional pop followed by cries of laughter and excitement as some teenagers group down on the corner to have their own fun with a few small firecrackers.

They got a permit from the city to temporarily cordon off this portion of the street for the neighborhood party and fireworks show. Sam and a friend of his who works as a demolition expert for the same construction company built a small launch pad that they set up in the middle of the closed off street. Quinn and Rachel had dragged their lawn chairs over to the Evans yard so they'd have a prime viewing location and they've just been mingling and relaxing until it was dark enough for the anticipated show to begin.

"Peace offering?"

Quinn turns her head and sees Puck standing a couple feet from her holding out a fresh bottle of Henry's, the water from the ice bucket Sam and Mercedes placed on the porch dripping down the brown glass. She glares slightly at Puck, but at his hang dog expression she can't keep it up for long and sighs as she reaches her hand out for the beer. Puck smiles and settles himself in the lawn chair next to her as he hands her the cold beer and takes a swig from the bottle he was holding in his other hand. They watch in silence as more people begin to gather in this part of the neighborhood.

"I don't know if I said it yet, but thanks for inviting me today Quinn. I know I kind of messed up your day and I'm sorry about that, but it really meant a lot to me to be included. Hey, at least I didn't actually walk in on anything, right?" he smiles warmly at her.

Quinn shakes her head because she doesn't even want to think about what would have happened if Puck had been a minute earlier in his beer hunt.

"It's cool, Puck," she reassures him. For some reason she can't find it in herself to really hold a grudge against the guy. He's just so earnest. Even in his complete ineptitude. "Hey, thanks for convincing Mack to leave earlier. Even though it was entirely your fault she was here in the first place," Quinn finishes with a scowl that she tempers with a teasing smile.

"Yeah, well, the forty bucks for the cab fare was worth it," he sighs as he drinks from his beer and scrubs his hand distractedly against the fuzz of his head. "Sometimes you just have to cut your losses. I was hoping that bringing her with me would add a little fuel to the flame of jealousy she's nursing over you and I'd get laid, but I didn't realize she was bat-shit crazy and would actually make a play for you."

Quinn chuckles and takes another drink from her beer. Rachel had totally called it. _Speaking of Rachel_, Quinn thinks as she swivels her head around trying to spot her girlfriend in the large gathering of neighbors. She squints her eyes as she tries to find the familiar shape of the brunette and she suddenly realizes how dark it has become because she finds it difficult to make out any distinct faces. Quinn sits forward and scans to her left and smiles as she sees Rachel approaching.

Puck shuffles and starts to rise out of the chair next to Quinn because he knows it's Rachel's, but Rachel just shakes her head.

"Thank you, Noah, but you may keep the seat."

Quinn smiles dopily as Rachel lowers herself into her lap sideways and loops an arm across her shoulders. Quinn nuzzles a kiss gently against the slope of Rachel's jaw and gives her beer up without a struggle when Rachel pulls it from her hand and finishes off the last few swallows.

"Sweetie, Puck here just admitted that he only invited Mack to try to get some jealous sex."

"Noah." Rachel shakes her head as if she utterly disapproves and is completely shocked by his behavior. "How utterly predictable." Puck pulls a serious pout which catches Quinn by surprise causing her to blow a laugh through her lips.

"Sorry," she mumbles as she wipes a bit of moisture from Rachel's neck from her attempt to refrain from unexpected laughter. She might be drunker than she originally thought.

Rachel pats her head. Then runs her hand down the side of Quinn's face and pats her jaw slightly. Hmm, Rachel might be drunker than she originally thought, too.

"That's okay baby. I'm pretty sure by now you know that I don't mind having your spit on me."

Quinn flushes red and it's Puck's turn to spray his beer across the lawn.

Rachel frowns adorably. "That didn't sound right. What I mean is that you have saliva in your mouth and on your tongue and you know how much I love having those on me so it's not as gross as if, say Noah, were to have sprayed his saliva on me. It's almost the same as you licking me and I definitely don't mind that."

Puck's face is bright red and he shifts a little in his seat. Quinn feels hot all over. When did the sun come back out?

"In fact, if Noah hadn't walked in earlier then I'm fairly certain you would have had your tongue insi-mmph."

Quinn's hand covers over Rachel's mouth and muffles the end of her statement.

"Sweetheart, I love you, but I think you may have had more to drink than you realize and you're not going to want me to let you finish that sentence."

She cautiously removes her hand from Rachel's mouth to be certain the brunette isn't going to try to just finish her sentence once her mouth is free, but Rachel just smiles at her warmly and rests her head against Quinn's shoulder. At that moment the first large firecracker is set off with a loud bang followed by a high pitched whistling. Then one after another more fireworks continue to be released and Quinn loses herself in the warmth of Rachel resting against her as they watch the night sky explode into multi-colored sparks of light.

It's late when people start packing up their gear from their neighbor's lawns and making their way back to their own homes. Quinn runs her fingers lightly along the length of Rachel's arm and when people give her warm smiles and whisper their goodnight's she realizes that Rachel has fallen asleep in her lap. She leans her head down and drops a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Rachel," she whispers as she tries to rouse the girl gently from sleep.

"Q," Puck says quietly and she turns her head toward him. "You want me to?" he starts and then gestures tentatively an offer to carry Rachel for her.

If Rachel was able to fall asleep outside during a fireworks show she knows that her girlfriend's extremely tired and she really doesn't want to have to wake her up. She gives Puck a grateful smile and nods her head in the affirmative. Puck moves to her other side so that he's positioned behind Rachel and then carefully slides his hands underneath her and easily lifts her from Quinn's body. Rachel senses the movement in her sleep and automatically turns toward the strength of his arms, effectively tucking herself into his embrace.

Quinn's surprised that she doesn't feel even the tiniest bit of jealousy within her. She knows she's not as physically strong as Puck and she's just grateful for his friendship in this moment. It also helps that he's obviously being careful about where his hands are. Quinn quickly gathers their lawn chairs and says a quiet goodnight and thank you to Sam and Mercedes before following Puck across the street. Puck carries Rachel upstairs for Quinn and gently rests her in their bed. Quinn makes sure Rachel's securely on the bed and then follows Puck back downstairs to say her goodnight to him.

"Thanks Puck," she says quietly and nods her head upstairs to let him know what she's referring to.

Puck nods his head and shuffles his feet nervously as he stands with his hands in his pockets on the doorstep.

"Listen, Quinn. I really am sorry for bringing Mack around. That'll never happen again and I'm going to try to keep your schedule so that you don't have to work any shifts with her anymore. What she tried to do was not cool. Relationships may not be in the cards for me, but that doesn't mean I'm not able to appreciate that what you and Rachel have is something special. You're my friend. I care about you and I care about Rachel and I would never do anything to put a strain on your relationship on purpose. You have to know that."

Quinn smiles and steps forward and wraps Puck in a gentle embrace. She pulls back and pats his large bicep reassuringly.

"You're my friend too, Puck and I appreciate what you just said. Don't worry about me and Rachel. You didn't put any kind of strain on our relationship. What happened today was Rachel being possessive, not jealous. She and I trust each other more than you could possibly imagine. She knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that I would never cheat on her, but that doesn't mean that she's just going to stand by and let someone make a move without staking her claim. The same way I would if someone were to be stupid enough to make a blatant move on Rachel. Thanks for taking care of Mack for me, but please don't worry about any trouble it may have caused between me and Rach, because I promise you there is none."

Puck nods his head and leaves and Quinn locks up and turns the alarm on and the lights out and heads upstairs. She quietly changes into some pajamas and gently strips a still sleeping Rachel down to her underwear and crawls in beside her. Rachel automatically turns into Quinn in her sleep and nuzzles her head down against the blonde's chest. Quinn smiles happily and strokes her fingers gently through her soft brown hair as she lets out a contented sigh.

"Love you sweets," she whispers against Rachel's ear and she smiles and closes her eyes when she gets an unintelligible acknowledgment of feelings from the woman asleep next to her.

(*************************)

Quinn's eyes are closed. Based on the light she can sense on the other side of her eyelids and the intermittent chirping of birds outside she assumes it's early morning. She keeps her eyes closed and her breath steady because the light and birds aren't what brought her from her slumber. It's the delicate hand running gentle circles against the skin of her stomach. She feels the whisper of breath against her cheek and then soft lips barely brushing against her jaw line and she forces herself not to smile. The hand beneath her sleep shirt begins making slow circular progress further up her abdomen and she clenches her jaw to try to keep control. She wants to see how far Rachel will take this while Quinn's apparently asleep.

Rachel's soft chuckle lets her know she's been found out.

"You tried so hard baby," Rachel smiles against the skin of her neck. "But I know the difference between your sleep breathing and your pretending to sleep breathing."

Quinn's body shakes with soft laughter then she groans softly as she stretches her body.

"Why are you waking me up so early?" she grumbles.

"I wanted to say goodbye before I had to leave," Rachel pouts her reply.

Quinn really groans now. She had completely forgotten. While she has the day off of work Rachel is working a company banquet with Kurt. She had gone to Portland Community College and spoken to a counselor a few weeks ago and had decided that she would like to work toward a Bachelor's in Communications. She had spoken with Mike about possibly being able to transfer any credits from her three years at Tisch and Mike had been able to get the appropriate documents so that Rachel was going to be able to get her degree in little to no time. While she was waiting for the fall term to start she had offered to help Kurt out occasionally as a way to get her feet wet and make some early connections.

"Where is this thing anyway?" Quinn asks as she finally forces her eyes open to take in the brunette lying beside her, still wrapped up in the covers. She's thankful they were finally able to get the air conditioning put in last week because the end of July had decided to bring them a massive heat wave and they would have been sweltering without it.

"Mm, Clackamas, I think. Some business park. I have the address in my phone so I can just use the GPS."

"Can you text me the address?"

Rachel quirks her brow at Quinn. "Why do you need the address? Are you planning on following me?" Her tone is teasing, but also slightly defensive.

"No," Quinn draws out slowly, "I just want to know where you are."

Rachel frowns at her now. "I'm going to be with Kurt. Do you not trust me? Is that what this is?"

Quinn sighs and turns her head to growl into her pillow, but Rachel's hackles are raised now and she plows forward.

"You know I never once questioned you when you were working night shifts with Mack, a woman I knew was interested in you, because I trusted you. I can't believe you can't extend me the same courtesy. You're being completely unfair Quinn. And what's more…what are you doing?"

Quinn doesn't respond. She just lies there with her eyes closed.

"You are being incredibly rude, Quinn and I really don't appreciate it. It's my first day at a new job and I just wanted a nice, quiet morning with my girlfriend to get my day off to a good start and you're completely ruining it with your jealous inquisitions and blatant disregard for my feelings on the matter."

Quinn keeps her eyes closed, but finally speaks up.

"We're five minutes into the morning and I'm calling a do-over."

She smiles and slowly opens her eyes. Leaning forward she runs her fingers gently through Rachel's brown locks, still messy from her night of sleep. Rachel's still frowning at her but Quinn decides to ignore it and gently runs her lips along the other woman's. Rachel doesn't respond at first, but Quinn doesn't really expect her to. She knows she let Rachel get a little too amped up before she put an end to her rant so she just continues to kiss her slowly. Moving her lips gently against Rachel's, pressing and pulling, slanting slightly and running the tip of her tongue softly against her plump bottom lip until finally she feels Rachel begin to respond. She pulls back and looks into dazed and confused brown eyes.

"Good morning sweetheart," Quinn says quietly. "You look beautiful. I'm so excited for you. You're going to be amazing and I have no idea how you do this all the time."

Rachel smiles and Quinn sees understanding in her eyes.

"Thank you." Rachel's voice is lacking the hurt and anger that had laced it just moments before. Then she gives Quinn a questioning look. "What do you mean? How I do what all the time?"

"Watch me leave to go to work," Quinn answers simply. She runs her hand along the rise of Rachel's hip and pushes her fingers under the hem of her night shirt. "The thought of you leaving here without me and not knowing where you are scares me a little. So many things could happen to you and there'd be nothing I could do about it." Quinn leans in for another slow kiss, this time slipping her tongue slowly into Rachel's mouth and sliding her tongue slowly against the soft, wet muscle of her girlfriend's. Rachel whimpers softly and Quinn smiles as she pulls away.

"Do you think maybe, when you have a chance, you could text me the address of the place you're working today? Just so I can reassure myself. I just want to know where you are so that if I see something in the news or there's a fire or something then I'm not freaking out, wondering if that's where you are."

Rachel looks sufficiently chastised for her overreaction. Her cheeks flush pink and she hides her head against Quinn's chest and nods almost imperceptibly.

"I can do that," she muffles an answer. She moves up and places soft kisses along Quinn's neck and jawline until she's at her lips. "I'm sorry," she mumbles against her lips before pulling Quinn into a much deeper embrace.

After a while Quinn pulls back slightly and asks breathlessly, "What time do you need to leave?"

Rachel glances over Quinn's shoulder to see the clock and groans. "Soon."

"Kay," Quinn replies as she runs soft kisses along Rachel's throat and chest. "Then we should stop because if we keep going I'm going to make you late for your first day." Quinn places another slow kiss to Rachel's lips and then rolls away and climbs out of bed. She knows if she stays any longer she won't be able to stop herself and Rachel won't either.

"Quinn."

Quinn turns and smiles across the bed at her beautiful girlfriend. Rachel's hair is tousled, her lips pink and swollen, her cheeks flushed with heat, her chest rising and falling with effort. Damn. Quinn swallows hard and forces herself to stay where she is and not crawl back into the bed to finish what they started.

"I worry too," Rachel says quietly.

Quinn raises her eyebrow and waits for Rachel to continue.

"When you're at work. Even though I know where you are, I worry. When I hear an ambulance driving by in the night, especially if I know your shift is over and you're still not home, I always worry that they're going to you; that you've been in a car accident or someone attacked you on the Max. It scares me sometimes, how much I love you." Rachel falters and swallows hard. "If I lost you I think it would destroy me."

Quinn can't stop herself now. She crawls quickly back onto the bed, but keeps herself from crawling under the covers. She lays her body firmly against Rachel's, needing the connection, the affirmation that the woman she loves so much is truly there. There are tears in her eyes when she speaks because her feelings are so sincere it feels as if they burn her from the inside out.

"I love you so much Rachel," Quinn breathes before she captures Rachel's mouth with her own. The kiss is slow and tender and desperate all at once. When they break apart again they're both panting. Rachel laughs.

"I'm going to be so late."

Quinn makes a serious face. "No. I'm not going to let you be late." She jumps off the bed and pulls the covers back. She grabs Rachel's hands and pulls her quickly from the bed, standing her up and swatting her butt firmly. "Off you go. To the shower with you. Mush! Mush!" she cries out loudly and Rachel laughs the entire way to the bathroom.

While Rachel showers and gets dressed Quinn busies herself in the kitchen putting together a fruit bowl for Rachel's breakfast and then preparing a vegan lunch for her to take with her. When Rachel finally makes it down the stairs she has five minutes before she needs to be on the road and they use the time to make out against the front door.

"Go be amazing," Quinn whispers against Rachel's lips before giving her one more lingering goodbye kiss and pushing her out the door. Once Rachel's driven out of sight Quinn sighs and closes the door. Now for her day.

She keeps herself busy most of the morning by cleaning their bedroom and bathroom and doing laundry. A little after noon she decides she wants to fix Rachel dinner so she goes online and finds a recipe she thinks will be fairly easy. They only have the one car so she walks down to TV Highway and catches a bus to Fred Meyer where she gets the few fresh items she needs and the spice they didn't already have. She's about to leave when she sees racks with different newspapers and _The New York Times_ jumps out at her.

A smiles quirks across her lips as she recalls weekends spent hanging out with Santana, Brittany, and Rachel. On lazy, cold winter days they would read through the Classified section of _The Times_ and make up stories about different things people posted as either wanting or having. They made a game of which ads were the craziest. The memories flood back to her in a rush and her heart aches, but she's feeling nostalgic and so she grabs the paper and adds it to the rest of her minimal purchases. She's thankful it only fills the one re-usable canvas bag she brought.

By the time she makes it home she's especially thankful for the air conditioning they now have because she's sweating from the heat. She puts the groceries away and glances over the recipe again, determining that she has about an hour before she needs to start prepping in order to have dinner ready shortly after Rachel's due home. With a soft sigh she pulls the paper out and sets it down on the dining room table.

Quinn gets herself an ice water and then sits down and runs her hand reverently over the thick newspaper. So much history and sensory memories are wrapped up in the thick papers beneath her hands. A small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth as she flips it open to the Classifieds and begins skimming through them. She chuckles a few times at different items. _What the hell is a guy from Brooklyn doing with a tractor for sell?_ She's in the Want Ads portion when she sees it and gasps.

"It can't be," she whispers softly into the quiet of the house. She reads it over and over as she tries to convince herself that it means something other than what she thinks it does, but there's no avoiding the truth of what she's reading. She runs her fingers gingerly over the black type printed into the paper as tears well in her eyes. "Santana," she breathes.


	10. Chutes and Ladders

**A/N: So I know I said I wasn't going to do a lot of warnings with this story, but I feel this chapter may need a bit of a pre-emptive strike. I do not normally discuss religion in my stories because it's such a hot-button topic. I had absolutely no intention of mentioning it in this story. However, during the course of writing this chapter I needed something to create a conversation and what happens came organically from where I think these characters come from and what (in my mind) they've witnessed. I do not necessarily share the same beliefs or feelings. This is fiction and I'm taking them on a journey I obviously haven't experienced. If you're offended by anything they discuss, especially in regard to the religious aspect, then I apologize. But I believe that I've presented what happens and how they feel in a realistic and honest way, based solely upon my own imaginings of the alternate history I had to give them.**

**That being said, I want to thank everyone who's been alerting, favoriting, and reviewing this story. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you find this chapter enjoyable.**

**Chapter 10: Chutes and Ladders**

Rachel lets out a frustrated huff of air as she pulls yet another drawer open and starts sorting through the folded clothes within. "Where is it?" she mumbles.

"Quinn?" she calls out loudly. She waits quietly for a reply, but when she doesn't get one she continues her search by opening Quinn's drawers and repeating the process she'd just completed on all of hers. When she still doesn't find what she's looking for she closes the last drawer and heads downstairs.

"Quinn?" she calls again. Her brow furrows when she still doesn't get an answer. She turns the corner into the living room and spots Quinn sitting on the couch with her legs tucked up underneath her, her hazel eyes staring at nothing in particular. "Baby?" she questions softly. She's a little worried about Quinn. The blonde's been especially quiet lately and this isn't the first time Rachel's found her so deep in thought that she's not even aware of what's going on around her. Rachel moves into Quinn's line of sight causing her to jump slightly before a smirk slowly finds its way across her face.

"Well hello there," Quinn murmurs as her eyes trace over Rachel.

Rachel smiles and laughs lightly. All she's wearing is a pair of jeans and a bra, but honestly Quinn sees her naked on a regular basis so she's not sure why the blonde's getting so excited. Although now that she thinks about it she loves watching Quinn get dressed. And undressed.

"Have you seen my new University of Oregon t-shirt?"

"Hm," Quinn thinks as she rises from her spot on the couch, "the pink one? Did you check the dresser?"

Rachel frowns. "Yes, the pink one. The only one I have and of course I checked the dresser."

"I'm sorry, but you know what assuming does," Quinn smirks.

"Yes. It makes you an ass," Rachel says playfully as she swats at the hands currently reaching for her.

"You love my ass," Quinn answers as she continues to reach for all of the skin Rachel's tempting her with.

Rachel smiles and lets Quinn wrap her arms around her waist and pull her flush against her. "I do love your ass," she murmurs against Quinn's lips as she gives her a quick kiss. "Now, do you know where my shirt is?"

Quinn's hands splay across her low back and she dips her head and starts placing soft kisses along Rachel's exposed shoulders. "Um, weren't you wearing it a few days ago when you took me to work? It's probably in the laundry."

Rachel thinks back and frowns. Yes, she did wear it and now she remembers putting it in the hamper. She pouts and stomps her foot a little. "I wanted to wear it today."

Quinn chuckles but doesn't stop dragging her lips all across Rachel's neck and shoulders. "Why do you need it today?"

"Because we're taking Tyler to the park today and I wanted to wear it because I thought he'd enjoy that I was supporting an Oregon team."

Quinn laughs and moves up so she can peck twice at Rachel's pouting mouth.

"Okay, so I'm not even going to comment on the fact that you're dressing up for a _four year old_ who wouldn't care what you were wearing unless it was a Bumblebee or Power Rangers costume."

Rachel glares at her. "I'm pretty sure you just commented on it, so too late."

Quinn laughs. "Sweetheart, your t-shirt says University of Oregon Ducks," she says simply and then looks at Rachel as if she should get it.

She doesn't.

"So?"

"Sam and Mercedes went to Oregon State. That means they're Beavers fans. Which means Tyler is a Beavers fan. Your shirt is for the University of Oregon _Ducks_."

"But I like ducks better than beavers," Rachel states.

Quinn smirks. "That's not the impression I got last night."

Rachel looks confused for a split second and then she slaps Quinn lightly on the shoulder.

"Don't be crude," she chastises.

Quinn laughs loudly and pulls Rachel into a tight hug. "It doesn't matter what you wear Rach. You're beautiful no matter what."

Rachel melts into the embrace and they just stand there holding each other for a long while. Rachel remembers that when she came into the room Quinn was deep in thought and she's about to ask her what's been bothering her when the doorbell announces that Tyler and Mercedes are most likely on their front porch.

"Answer the door," Rachel rushes out quickly as she runs down the hallway and up the stairs to find a suitable alternate to what she'd planned on wearing for their afternoon with Tyler. The Evans' normal sitter was out of town and Mercedes had a class so Rachel had jumped at the opportunity to offer her childcare services. She can hear Mercedes and Quinn talking downstairs as she pulls a shirt over her head, fluffs her hair out and quickly pads down the stairs.

"Wachel!" Tyler greets her with a wide, toothy grin. Rachel smiles and leans down to give the young boy a hug.

"We're going to have so much fun today Tyler. We're going to go to the park and play on the slide and the swings and I think there's even a water fountain that you're allowed to play in. Hi Mercedes," Rachel smiles as she stands to give her friend a hug.

"Hi Rachel. I can't thank you guys enough for doing this. Sam and I appreciate it so much."

"Oh please," Rachel waves her hand to show it's not a big deal, "Quinn and I love hanging out with Tyler. He's a treat."

Mercedes smiles. "Sam should be home around six. He'll come over and get Tyler then, but if you need anything or there's an emergency you have both of our cells." Mercedes kneels down and wraps Tyler in a tight hug and places a kiss against his brow. "Now you be a good boy for Rachel and Quinn, okay Ty. I love you."

"I love you too, Mama and I'll be a weally good boy. Pwomise." He gives Mercedes a kiss on the cheek and then Mercedes stands and thanks them again and walks out. A silence falls over the hallway and Rachel smiles and sighs.

"Well, do you want to go to the park now or did you want to play a game here first?"

Tyler smiles and then shouts, "Pawk!" He seems to remember himself and then quietly adds, "Please."

It doesn't take long for them to drive to the park, but in the short drive Rachel receives a detailed explanation of how to defeat Magneto in the newest X-Men video game. She smiles at Quinn's profile as Tyler talks animatedly from the backseat. She imagines for a moment what it would be like to have a child of their own. She can picture in her mind a little girl with soft golden locks and deep hazel eyes. Quinn takes a brief moment to shoot her a smile and a raised eyebrow from the driver's seat and Rachel reaches over and runs her hand lovingly through her blonde hair, tucking it behind her ear just to watch the short strands fall forward a few seconds later.

Tyler's a little ball of energy and runs toward the large group of children already playing in the spouts of water shooting up from the ground at the park Quinn found months ago across from the library.

"Not too far ahead, Ty," Quinn calls out and the boy instantly stops and waits impatiently for them to catch up to him.

Rachel links her arm through Quinn's and grasps her bicep with her other hand. She leans into Quinn as they walk toward an empty bench that will give them a good view of the play area. As soon as they're seated Quinn gives Tyler a smile and a nod and the little boy is off again. They watch as he introduces himself to two boys that look a little older than him and then joins them in their play as they chase each other through and between the spray of water.

"He's very social," Rachel says quietly. "My fathers told me I was like that when I was little."

Quinn chuckles beside her and drapes her arm across Rachel's shoulders, tugging her closer to her on the bench. "I can completely see that."

"What were you like? I bet you were shy and quiet." Rachel turns her head and kisses Quinn's jaw lightly.

Quinn thinks for a moment. "I was quiet, but I wasn't shy. I remember my dad telling me that you could learn more by keeping silent than by speaking. He said people don't naturally like silence and that if you wanted to really get to know a person you shouldn't speak much because they would inevitably spill everything simply to fill the silence."

"He told you that when you were four?" she asks incredulously.

"Maybe a little older than that," Quinn replies quietly. "The thing is, where I grew up, people knew who my father was which meant they knew who I was. So everyone I met had a preconceived notion about me. I learned in kindergarten that I wouldn't have any friends that weren't children of people who worked for Russell. It kind of limits your socializing choices."

Rachel runs her fingertips along the hem of Quinn's shorts, feeling the warmth of her skin. "But you had Santana and Brittany." Rachel can feel Quinn's breath falter and she immediately feels guilty for bringing up a sore subject. "I'm sorry. You don't have to talk about them if you don't want."

"No, it's okay." Quinn pushes out a lungful of air and squeezes Rachel's shoulder. "We met in first grade. Santana and I beat up this kid that was giving Brittany a hard time and we bonded over that."

"You beat someone up in first grade?" Rachel blinks disbelievingly at her.

"It's not something I'm proud of." Quinn shrugs lightly and smiles as memories of her friends flood her mind. "They were my first and only true friends. Of course, it helped that their parents were either too busy or too high to care who they were hanging out with. We were inseparable. Franny used to call us the unholy trinity."

Rachel laughs. "I can actually see that." They're quiet for a while as they watch Tyler continue to play. Rachel smiles at his loud laughter followed by shrieking screams as a stream of water shoots right underneath his shorts. She turns her head to look at Quinn and sadness fills her heart as she watches her girlfriend's jaw work methodically as it clenches and unclenches. Her eyes are worried and wet; her gaze unfocused.

"I'm sorry baby. I shouldn't have brought them up."

Quinn turns to her and smiles sadly. She leans forward and gives Rachel a soft kiss on her lips. "It's okay. I just miss them."

After a half hour of playing in the water Tyler announces that he's bored and wants to swing now. Quinn grabs the towel they brought with them and helps him dry off a little. They follow him to the swings, their fingers interlaced in a handhold. Rachel sits down on the swing next to Tyler and Quinn alternates between pushing the young boy and pushing Rachel. Rachel laughs loudly when Quinn makes sure to squeeze her butt a couple times while she's giving her a push. When Tyler takes a flying leap from the swing while it's still in motion Rachel lets out a surprised scream. Quinn laughs and grabs the chains to pull Rachel to a stop. She nuzzles her nose against her neck and places soft kisses against her skin.

"Little boys, Rach," Quinn comforts her.

Rachel smiles and breathes out a sigh of relief when it appears that Tyler is unharmed. He takes off at a run and grabs the ladder leading to the top of the slide. He's already at the top before Quinn and Rachel even get there. He raises his hands up and lets out a whoop of glee as he shoots down the hot metal. They play like this for another hour, going from one structure to another and back again until Tyler's completely worn out.

When they pile back into the car and Rachel mentions the possibility of ice cream Tyler gasps and clutches his hands excitedly in front of himself.

"Cold Stone?" Quinn questions with a smile from the driver's seat. Rachel nods and then turns her head to give her attention to Tyler who can't contain his excitement and is now telling them what his mom and dad's favorite flavors are.

By the time they get home it's almost time for dinner. They grab a stool for Tyler to stand on and they all fix it together. Tyler tears up the pieces of bok choy and helps Quinn put it through the salad spinner to wash it while Rachel chops vegetables for the stir fry.

"What's that?" Tyler asks as he points at a container Rachel's just pulled from the refrigerator.

"Tofu," Rachel answers with a smile.

He wrinkles his nose up in distaste. "What's tofu?" he asks as he peaks curiously at the contents of the container. "It looks like cheese."

"It's a soy based protein," Rachel answers with a smile as she slices through a small portion of the block and puts the rest back in the refrigerator.

"Rachel doesn't eat anything that comes from an animal," Quinn explains. "Tofu comes from plants, but it has protein like chicken so we eat it instead of chicken. When I first tried it I didn't like it very much, but Rachel's a really good cook and the way she prepares it makes it really good. Trust me, Ty. But if you try it and you still don't like it then you can just pick the pieces out of your stir-fry and just have the rice and veggies. Okay?"

This compromise appeases the young boy and he nods and turns his attention back to cleaning the bok choy. When they have a small mountain of vegetables prepared Quinn lifts Tyler in her arms and holds him up so he can watch from a safe distance as Rachel puts a small amount of sesame oil in the pre-heated wok and then adds the sliced chunks of tofu with some ginger, letting it brown slightly before slowly adding the rest of the vegetables. She feels like she has an audience and it warms her heart. Not for the first time that day she imagines that this is how it would be if she and Quinn had a child together. The image fills her with a swell of happiness and she turns and smiles at Quinn as she tosses the stir-fry expertly along the sides of the wok.

They're just sitting down to eat when the doorbell chimes. Rachel's already standing so she answers it and smiles at Sam even as a feeling of disappointment fills her. She'd been enjoying their time with the young boy.

"Sam, hi. We were just sitting down to dinner. You should join us," Rachel says as she leads him inside the house.

"Oh, I couldn't impose like that. I can just grab Ty and we'll eat some leftovers or something."

"Nonsense," Rachel responds and she makes it obvious that she's not taking no for an answer when she grabs another plate from the cupboard and hands it to Sam so he can dish up. "We have plenty. Plus, Tyler helped and it doesn't seem fair that he would work so hard and not get to appreciate the fruits of his labor."

"Please Daddy," Tyler pipes up from the dining room where he's already sitting at the table with his own small plate of food in front of him.

Sam smiles and acquiesces by dipping up a good portion of the rice and stir-fried vegetables. When they're all seated Sam immediately reaches for Tyler's hand and the little boy bows his head. Rachel falters slightly, but then Quinn's hand reaches for hers on the table and she follows the blonde's example and lowers her eyes out of respect of their friend's beliefs. After Sam says a very brief prayer for his son, thanking his god for the food and the friendly hands that prepared it the little boy says "Amen" very loudly and the dining room is filled with the sounds of eating and friendly conversation.

"This is delicious," Sam says as he thoroughly enjoys the hot food before him. He turns his attention to Tyler. "You helped with dinner?" he asks with pride apparent in his voice.

"Mhm," Tyler answers behind a mouthful of rice. He uses his fingers to push a few grains in his mouth and then chews and swallows quickly so he can continue speaking. "I helped wash the gween stuff that looks like spinach, but Quinn said it's not spinach. It's like a wobot toy."

"Bok choy," Quinn supplies with a smile. Sam chuckles as he understands now why his son would think the word sounded like robot toy.

"Bok choy," Tyler repeats as he tries to commit the new word to memory. "And, and I got to teaw it all up into small pieces and then Quinn and I watched Wachel make it all in a weally big bowl. But we had to stay back because it was supa hot and Wachel was wooied I'd get buwned. Oh! And, and Dad guess what's in the stew fwy?" The boy pauses with wide eyes as if he's about to reveal some secret ingredient that no one could possibly know of. "Tofu because Wachel only eats plants."

"Well, it's delicious," Sam states again with a smile, "and I'm so proud of you for helping and being such a good boy today." Tyler beams at him and then launches into a detailed description of everything they did that day. When they finish eating Sam insists on helping clean up the kitchen and then he grabs Tyler's _Spiderman_ backpack filled with a change of clothes and unused toys and announces that it's time to get home. Tyler gives Quinn and Rachel each a tight hug and thanks them for dinner and ice cream and taking him to the park.

Quinn closes the door behind them and leans against it with a sigh.

"You tired baby?" Rachel asks from behind her. She slides her hands along Quinn's hips and then folds them across her abdomen and snuggles against her back, resting her cheek in the spot between Quinn's shoulder blades.

Quinn's hands run softly against Rachel's. "Yeah," she answers. "It was fun, but I'm exhausted. I don't know how Sam and Mercedes do that every day."

"I'm sure it's exhausting for them as well, but it's different when it's your own child and part of your routine." Rachel places a kiss on the nape of Quinn's neck before pulling away slowly and making her way back to the living room. "Do you want to watch a movie and just cuddle on the couch?"

"That sounds like a fantastic idea."

Rachel turns the stove on to heat some water for tea. It's not time for bed, but she hears Quinn going through her nightly routine of locking all the doors and turning the alarm system on. While the water's heating she grabs the remote for the television and turns it on then turns the PlayStation3 on and waits for the main screen to appear before logging into Netflix. "What are you in the mood for baby?"

"Your choice," Quinn answers from behind her. "Mostly I just want to cuddle with you."

Rachel smiles happily. She's in the mood for an older film and quickly finds _Pillow Talk_. "This okay?" she asks and turns toward Quinn who's standing in the kitchen preparing their mugs for the water that's getting closer to boiling.

Quinn smiles at her. "That's perfect. You want to get in our jammies first?"

Rachel laughs at Quinn's use of the word "jammies", but nods and heads upstairs. She quickly changes into a pair of sleep shorts and a thin cotton tank and then heads back downstairs. She's back in the kitchen just as the tea kettle begins to whistle and she prepares the tea as Quinn heads upstairs to change. She's on the couch with steaming mugs of tea sitting on the coffee table in front of her when Quinn comes down wearing identical attire to her and she smiles when Quinn settles next to her and automatically lifts her arm so that Rachel can cuddle in against her side.

They're about thirty minutes into the movie when something that's been on her mind all night finally forces her to speak up.

"We've never talked about religion," she states quietly.

Quinn turns her head and gives her a questioning look. "No, but I didn't think it was a big deal. Is it a big deal? I mean I know you were raised in an inter-faith household, but you recognize yourself as Jewish. It's never been a big deal to me. Did you want to start going to Temple or something?"

Rachel shakes her head. "No. I mean it might be nice occasionally. Especially, for the high holidays, but that's not why I was wondering. Isn't it important to you? I thought your family was religious."

"They are, but really what does that mean? My parent's faith is important to them, but how hypocritical is that? My father kills people. Not out of self-defense. Not as a soldier representing his country. He kills them because they're in his way. He kills them to keep himself from going to jail for all of his other criminal activities. I guess, technically, I'm Catholic because I'm still on the books, or whatever, as a member, but after I finally realized what my father really was and how my mother stood by him even though she knows what he does and who he is…the Church lost its hold on me. They give him a place of honor in the church because he fills their coffers and pays for their extravagancies. He walks into their confessionals and is absolved of his sins even though they know he's not truly repentant because at the same time that he's confessing he has henchmen all over the city murdering and extorting and committing more atrocities all on his orders."

Rachel instantly feels awful for bringing the subject up. She's never heard Quinn speak this way. There's anger and pain and hurt lacing her words and it hurts Rachel that the woman she loves feels such betrayal, not just from her family but from the religion she'd been raised to believe in.

"I'm sorry Quinn. Why haven't you ever talked about this before? It's obviously something that bothers you."

"It's not something I think about a lot." Quinn shrugs slightly against Rachel and threads her fingers lightly through the brunette's hair as she thinks about her family and her faith. "I still believe in God. I just don't believe that religion in general is the end-all be-all when it comes to faith. I don't need a man who gets his sermons and beliefs from apocryphal stories and traditions instead of the Bible to tell me how to feel about God or about myself. They're supposed to be men of God, but they allow men like my father to dictate policy because of their own greed. They allow pedophiles and perverts to continue to serve congregations of people that blindly trust in them because they're afraid of men. Shouldn't they be more afraid of God? I just see the hypocrisy of it all and I don't want any part of it. I just want to love God and have my faith without the taint of organized religion."

Rachel's quiet for a long time as she watches the movie without really paying attention to it. Quinn's hand continues to run comfortingly through her hair and she slips her hand underneath the woman's tank to feel her warm skin against her fingertips.

"What brought all this up?" Quinn asks quietly.

"Sam praying at dinner for Tyler."

Quinn hums quietly as if she knew this would be her answer.

"Sam and Mercedes obviously share the same belief system and they're raising Tyler in their shared faith. I guess I suddenly realized that you and I have never really talked about our own faith and how it might affect the way we raise our children."

She feels Quinn stiffen slightly beside her, but she knows that she's just surprised her girlfriend and so she doesn't let it upset her.

"Our children?" Quinn questions softly.

"Yeah. I mean I know it's a very long way down the road, but I think it's important that we at least have discussions about it. It's important to have very clear understanding of what we would find acceptable or not before we're actually faced with the situation."

Quinn's silent for a moment longer than is comfortable for Rachel. Then she says quietly, "We can't have children Rachel."

"Well I know that, Quinn. I may have gone to school to be an actor and singer, but I did take basic biology. That's why it's a long way down the road for us and we'll have to do a lot of planning and really take into consideration who we want to biologically father our child."

Quinn removes her arm from around Rachel's shoulders and Rachel actually feels a chill through her at the loss of contact.

"No, Rachel. We _can't_ have children. Do you have any idea what kind of leverage Russell would have on us if we had a child? It's bad enough that you're in danger. I can't even imagine the terror he could unleash on us if we had a child to worry about."

Rachel feels as if she's been doused with a bucket of ice cold water. She got a small glimpse today of what Quinn would be like as a mother; a small glimpse of how they would be together as parents and it had filled her with such hope and happiness that she hadn't even considered it wasn't something that Quinn occasionally thought about as well.

"So, you don't want children?" she asks tentatively.

Quinn bites her bottom lip and looks at her for a moment before looking away and focusing on the television screen. "It's not something I spend time thinking about because it's not something that can happen."

"Well maybe not right now, but what about in the future? What about after the trial when we're safe and can have a life together without being afraid of what Russell will do if he finds us? Have you never thought about that, Quinn? Because I think about it. I picture what our daughter would look like and what an amazing mother you'd be. I picture you teaching our son how to ride his first bike while I'm standing to the side with the First Aid kit and you laugh at how ridiculous I'm being but I don't rub it in your face when I'm there to bandage his skinned knee. Don't you ever think about things like that? About our future?"

"Yes I think about our future. I think about what will happen if my father is acquitted and how I can possibly keep him from killing both of us. I think about if he's convicted, but still giving orders from inside prison. I think about moving to a new city if our identities are ever compromised or if they never are and we spend the rest of our lives lying to our friends and keeping track of what we've told them so that we don't ever slip up. I'm sorry if being concerned with keeping us alive hasn't left me a lot of time to picture children that won't ever happen."

Rachel feels the burn of tears behind her eyes but she refuses to cry. She asked for Quinn's opinion. She wanted to know how she felt on the subject of religion and children and now that she knows it's not fair of her to be upset with the blonde for not feeling the same way as she does. She sits there for a long time as silence envelops them, the only sound being the lilting voice of Doris Day as she talks on the phone with Rock Hudson. Her chest feels tight and she knows she's not going to be able to hold in her disappointment and hurt for much longer and she doesn't want to cry in front of Quinn over this.

"I'm tired. I think I'm going to head up to bed," she says quietly. She squeezes Quinn's hand and kisses her cheek quickly before she rises from the couch and hurries upstairs. She washes her face and brushes her teeth. It's as she's staring at her reflection in the mirror of their bathroom that she lets the hurt settle in her chest.

"You can't force Quinn to want these things," she tells her reflection even as her lips tremble and hot tears spill from her eyes. "It's not fair to expect her to want the same things you do." She takes a shaky breath and wipes the tears angrily from her cheeks.

She's only been in bed for twenty minutes when she hears Quinn quietly enter their room. She keeps her eyes closed because she hasn't been able to stop the silent tears that continue to leak from her eyes. She listens as Quinn goes into the bathroom and completes her nightly regimen. The bed dips gently beside her when Quinn climbs in and then she feels a strong arm reaching across her waist from behind and the warmth of Quinn's body along her back as the woman spoons her.

Neither of them are asleep and Rachel just lies there listening to Quinn's breath close to her ear, feeling the warmth and strength of her body around her. When Quinn's voice begins softly speaking she fights to keep still.

"She'd have your eyes and complexion, but blonde hair like mine. She'd love books and old movies and every night she'd insist that both of us read at least two chapters from her favorite books even when she's old enough to read them herself. She'd be just as comfortable in a quiet corner with a book as she would be in a crowd of people commanding their attention as she sings the songs you've sung to her since before she was born."

Rachel turns in Quinn's arms so that she's facing her and clasps her face in her palms. Quinn's cheeks are wet with tears and Rachel's own tears renew themselves with force.

"I want it so badly," Quinn cries brokenly. "I want a life with you Rachel. I want a family with you, but I _can't_. I can't let myself see it. I can't talk about it as if it will happen. I can't until I know that you're safe. I can't until all of this is over and because I don't know if it will _ever_ be over I just can't. Please understand this, sweetheart. I love you and of course I want a family with you. Rachel, I want forever with you, but talking with you about how we'll raise our potential children is too much for me to handle right now. There's just too much uncertainty. Please, tell me you understand."

"I understand, Quinn. I understand," Rachel repeats as she places kisses across Quinn's warm, wet cheeks. "I'm so sorry baby. I love you." Rachel kisses Quinn repeatedly as she feels the woman she loves with all her heart shake in her arms with a pain Rachel had no idea she was concealing. She resolves within herself to keep the hope of a future family alive in her own heart, but not to burden Quinn with it until they were finally safe. Eventually, their shared tears taper off and they succumb to their exhaustion.

(*********************)

Whatever's been bothering Quinn for the last few weeks is getting worse. Rachel knows this and yet she's at a loss as to what to do about it. She's asked her a few times what's on her mind, but each time Quinn either deflects the question or tells her that it's nothing. A couple times she's snapped at Rachel and then instantly apologized. She's been spending more time in the garage working out and on mornings where she didn't work the night before she's been waking up early and going for a long run.

Rachel's trying not to imagine the worst, but she hasn't been able to stop the possible scenarios from flipping through her mind like some horrible silent film. Maybe she found someone else and she's not sure how to break it to Rachel. Maybe she's finally realizing that Rachel's not worth the sacrifices she's made and she's considering leaving the program and begging for her father's forgiveness so she can return to her former life. Maybe, maybe, maybe. All of the possibilities are slowly driving Rachel mad and when she unlocks the front door after a five hour day of helping Kurt with a company picnic he was catering she's made up her mind to not let Quinn continue her silence.

Out of habit she turns the deadbolt closed behind her and sets her purse and keys on the small table beside the door. She makes her way down the hallway and stands at the corner of the wall going into the living room. A small smile traces across her lips as she hungrily takes in the image of her girlfriend. Quinn's lying on her back on the couch wearing her favorite pair of jeans and a black and gray cotton tee with an image of a guitar made up of musical notes on the front. Her arm is draped across her stomach and her short hair frames her sleeping face perfectly.

Rachel slips her shoes off quietly and carefully climbs onto the couch, hiking up her skirt so that she can straddle Quinn's legs. She takes Quinn's hand and pulls it slowly back getting a mumble of response from the sleeping woman. She lowers herself against the form of the woman she loves and smiles when she feels Quinn stir beneath her and then the blonde's arms circle around her and pull her tightly into her.

"Hey sweetheart," she says sleepily.

She reaches up and kisses Quinn softly as a way of greeting and then rests her head back to its spot on Quinn's chest. Rachel loves to listen to Quinn's heartbeat. It's one of her favorite things. Much better than brown paper packages tied up with string.

"When did you get home?" Rachel asks quietly.

Quinn pulls her wrist up and eyes her watch. "Couple hours ago."

Rachel's eyebrows rise in surprise and she lifts her head to look into Quinn's tired eyes.

"That's an almost sixteen hour shift!"

Quinn shrugs and slips her hands beneath Rachel's shirt and begins lightly scratching her back with her short nails. "Inventory's a bitch," she states succinctly. "On the plus side it shouldn't take as long next time because I used the opportunity to reorganize Puck's entire storage system. And," Quinn draws out with a smile, "he was so grateful he gave me the next three days off."

"Three days?" Rachel can't stop the smile that spreads across her face at the idea of three uninterrupted days together.

"Mhm," Quinn murmurs. "I was thinking maybe we could go to the coast. If we left tonight we could stay overnight in Seaside and then decide from there if we want to stay there or head south. I heard there's a lot of cute little towns all the way down 101. Sam said he and Mercedes camp at Manzanita and there's some amazing dunes. We could just play it by ear, though."

Rachel smiles and moves up Quinn's body enough so that she can hover over the blonde beneath her. "That sounds wonderful," she says softly. What she doesn't say is that being in a car with Quinn for a few hours sounds like the perfect opportunity to finally find out what's been bothering her. There will be no escape and no way for her to use sex to distract Rachel.

She leans down and kisses Quinn slowly. "Do you want to leave now or get a little more sleep?" she asks softly before leaning back in for another kiss.

Quinn hums softly as she returns Rachel's slow kiss. "I think we have time for a little bit of everything."

"Everything?" Rachel asks with a playful smile.

Quinn's hands work around from Rachel's back to her front and Rachel lets out a soft gasp when her breasts are palmed by warm hands and nimble fingers begin to massage and tweak.

"You want to know what I was thinking about this morning?"

Rachel slips her tongue slowly into Quinn's mouth and then sucks gently on the tongue pushing into her own mouth. She smiles at the low moan she hears come from the back of Quinn's throat. She pulls back and runs her tongue slowly along Quinn's jawline until she's just below her ear and then she sucks lightly on the flesh there. "I always want to know what you're thinking," she husks gently as she continues leaving wet kisses all along Quinn's neck.

"I was thinking about what we did last week. Do you remember that Rach?" Quinn's panting and her voice is husky as they continue to pet each other and make out. Rachel's hips are slowly grinding into her from above and Rachel doesn't know it, but it's feeding the memories on Quinn's mind.

"We did a lot of things last week baby. Remind me."

"I was wearing the strap-on and you climbed on top of me and rode me like a beast."

The memory washes through Rachel in an instant and her entire body clenches as if it's happening again. It helps that Quinn's hands are exactly where they were that night. She can actually feel the ghost of the strap-on inside her and she feels her thighs become damp beneath her skirt as she floods with arousal. Rachel closes her eyes and whimpers softly. She can see in her mind the way Quinn had looked beneath her. Her eyes dark, her mouth open slightly as her breath came hard from her worked up body, her hands stretching up and working Rachel's breasts in just the most perfect way as Rachel drove herself hard up and down on the toy attached to her.

"God," Rachel gasps when she opens her eyes to see a very similar look currently gracing Quinn's features.

The intensity of Quinn's gaze spears her and her chest tightens as an electric shock rolls through her body.

"I want that again, Rachel." Quinn's voice is low and firm. Rachel gasps and claims Quinn's mouth hungrily as she pushes her hands underneath Quinn's t-shirt and discovers that she's not wearing a bra. Her hips roll of their own accord and she feels Quinn's right hand leave her breast and slowly make its way down her body. The way Quinn's speaking and moving Rachel knows that she may currently be on top, but Quinn's completely in control of this particular encounter.

"Take your shirt off Rach," Quinn demands lowly.

Quinn's hand is rubbing gently against the inside of her thigh and Rachel hurries to comply with her girlfriend's request. Her bra instantly follows her shirt to the floor. Rachel licks her lips and watches Quinn for a moment as the blonde's gaze traces over her body. She never feels as sexy as she does when Quinn looks at her like this.

"You're so fucking beautiful," Quinn husks gently. Her eyes flash up to Rachel's and then she drags her gaze slowly all the way back down Rachel's body before her hazel eyes rest on Rachel's rocking hips. She smirks. "Do you want me Rachel? Do you want my fingers inside of you?"

"Yes," Rachel hisses. She tries to push forward into Quinn's hand, but the blonde anticipates the move and keeps her hand firmly on Rachel's thigh. So tantalizingly close and yet still too far away.

Quinn's still working her other hand roughly against Rachel's breast. She leans up slightly and runs her tongue across the one she abandoned. She sucks Rachel's nipple into her mouth and swirls her tongue around the hardened nub before biting down gently. Rachel arches her body and gasps and moans as her hips work themselves harder against Quinn searching for any kind of friction she can possibly get.

"Baby, please. I need you inside me," Rachel gasps. She feels Quinn's hand push against her and she lifts her hips in response, widening her legs in the same motion. She drops her head to Quinn's shoulder and releases a low moan as Quinn slowly pushes two fingers deep inside her. But then she doesn't move. She just holds them there and Rachel bites down on Quinn's shoulder and emits a growl of frustration as she pushes back up and begins moving on the still fingers.

Quinn lets out a low chuckle and then bites down hard on her own lip as she watches Rachel take what she needs. "I couldn't stop thinking about you and how much I wanted to be here this morning." Quinn gasps as Rachel pushes down and holds her body still before rotating her hips in a slow grind. Rachel whimpers as she pulls up and repeats the motion again, her eyes on Quinn as her chest rises in heavy breaths under Rachel's hands that have now pushed her t-shirt up and out of the way.

"By the time I got home I was so turned on and then I remembered that you weren't even here. I considered touching myself."

Rachel cries out and rocks her hips down and forward at the image of Quinn touching herself while thinking about her.

"You like that, Rach? You like to picture me touching myself? My fingers wet because I'm thinking about you, about how it feels when you're inside me?"

Rachel nods frantically and leans down to steal a sloppy kiss. The angle she reaches by leaning down rests her clit against Quinn's wrist and Rachel works herself hard against Quinn for a moment at the new feeling.

"You're so wet," Quinn breathes into her mouth.

Rachel pulls herself back up so she can watch Quinn beneath her.

"Do you remember how wet you made the toy? Remember how slick it was with you? What it looked like as it disappeared inside you and then reappeared covered in you?"

"Oh God, Quinn," Rachel cries out as her muscles clench around Quinn's fingers at the imagery she's painting for her. Every word Quinn utters sends shivers of pleasure through her and she can feel her orgasm approaching. Suddenly she's empty. She looks down in surprise to see Quinn pulling her wet fingers away from Rachel and she whines at the loss. "Baby, what.." she doesn't finish her question because Quinn's eyes pierce her as she slips her fingers inside her mouth and sucks and all the breath whooshes out of Rachel's lungs.

"Mm, so good," Quinn hums.

Before Rachel can really appreciate the waves of pleasure coursing through her body Quinn rises up and covers her breast with her mouth as she forcefully pushes three fingers back into Rachel. Rachel cries out loudly and slams her hips downward into Quinn's hand, all of the muscles in her body contracting as her orgasm rips through her. Quinn pulls out slowly and rubs gently against her clit as she helps Rachel slowly through her climax.

Rachel finally takes a deep breath and her body goes limp against Quinn. Quinn wraps her arms around her and holds her as tiny tremors continue to ripple through her for a few minutes. When she's able to speak again she huffs a disbelieving laugh.

"That was…I…my god, Quinn. Where did that come from?"

Quinn chuckles softly beneath her and kisses her sweaty temple.

"I was away from you for too long. I didn't get to say goodnight to you or good morning. So I spent most of the time fantasizing about having you. Was it…Are you okay?" Quinn suddenly sounds shy and unsure of herself.

Rachel laughs and places soft kisses against Quinn's collarbone, slowly working her way up her neck until she's kissing her mouth hungrily. "Yes, baby. It was more than okay. Now, how can I help you?" She cocks her brow suggestively and trails her hand down Quinn's side.

"Later. I just wanted you right now," Quinn replies as she tangles her hand in Rachel's wandering digits. "I need at least a couple hours more sleep if I'm going to drive to the coast tonight."

Rachel pouts. She wants Quinn just as much as the blonde wants her and it's not fair.

"Don't pout," Quinn smiles and kisses her on the nose.

"Well, I'm not really tired because I actually got to sleep last night. Although not well because you weren't with me."

"Did you have a nightmare?" Quinn asks worriedly.

Rachel shrugs noncommittally. She doesn't want to worry Quinn with something she can't help.

"Sweetheart," Quinn says with concern.

"I'm fine," Rachel reassures her and kisses her lips gently. "I promise Quinn. It wasn't even the worse nightmare I've had. It just felt worse because you weren't there, but that's not going to be a problem for at least the next three nights." Rachel smiles and pecks Quinn's lips over and over until the blonde is laughing beneath her. "Now, why don't you take a nap and I'll pack so when you wake up we can leave right away."

"Sounds like a plan," Quinn replies. "I want to get there before sunset so don't let me sleep past six. Okay?"

"Okay," Rachel says. She rolls slowly off of Quinn and picks up her discarded shirt and bra before pulling the throw off the back of the couch and draping it over her girlfriend. "Sleep, baby. I'll wake you up when it's time to go." She runs her hands lovingly through the short blonde locks and kisses her one more time before heading upstairs to shower, change, and pack.

(***************************)

Rachel sighs quietly and slides her finger over the face of her phone. She lets her head fall against the headrest and looks to her left. She smiles happily at Quinn and reaches her fingers out to play with a few strands of soft blonde hair.

"You're so sexy in sunglasses, baby," she whispers. Quinn turns to flash a brief smile before giving her attention back to the road. "I wish you had let me reciprocate. Now all I can think about are all the things I want to be doing to you right now."

She grins when Quinn licks her lips and clears her throat before replying.

"Just, um, just you keep thinking on those things and as soon as we check into the hotel you can have your way with me."

"Mm," Rachel hums with a devious glint in her eyes, "I've been trying to decide what I want to do first. I think I want to go down on you because you love it so much. But then I was thinking maybe I could get you going first with my fingers and then finish you off with my tongue. What would you prefer?" Rachel smiles mischievously as Quinn's grip tightens on the steering wheel and her breathing rate increases. A deep blush runs from her chest all the way up her neck and into her cheeks.

Quinn coughs and hems and haws for a moment. "I think I would prefer that you make it a surprise because if you keep talking like that we're not going to make it to the coast at all. I'm either going to wreck or we're going to get arrested for indecent exposure. And I don't want to have to explain that to Mike."

Rachel laughs and lets her fingers drag slowly down the skin of Quinn's arm before settling back in her seat to give Quinn the space she needs to drive safely. She bites on her lower lip and entertains herself by watching Quinn drive. She's very excited about the next three days. It feels as if they're going on their very first vacation together. They hadn't really had one when they lived in New York. Rachel had already visited her fathers for the summer by the time she met Quinn and she hadn't been able to make it home for the holidays during winter break. This summer was supposed to be their first vacation when Rachel took Quinn home to Ohio to meet her fathers. She feels tears form in her eyes at the thought of them and she's grateful for the sunglasses currently covering her eyes. She forces her thoughts to their upcoming holiday instead of dwelling in the past.

"It's nice of Sam and Mercedes to agree to keep an eye on the house while we're gone," she says quietly.

"Mhm," Quinn agrees as she nods her head. "Hey, were you able to get a hotel?"

Rachel nods her head yes. She had become distracted looking at Quinn and had forgotten why she'd just hung up her phone in the first place. "I did. And because we're going in the middle of the week instead of the weekend we were able to get a room with a beach view and a Jacuzzi tub." She grins when Quinn whips her head toward her.

"Really?" she asks, the excitement evident in her voice.

"Really. Maybe you'd like to start with the tub?" Rachel asks with a wink. Quinn laughs and turns back to the road with a shake of her head.

"No talking about that right now," she chastises playfully. "You should plug the address of the hotel into the GPS so we can just go straight there."

"M'kay," Rachel agrees and pulls her phone out to view the confirmation text she'd received. She leans forward and starts pressing buttons on the GPS. When she has their destination entered she starts to lean back into her seat when she notices Quinn's eyes on her from underneath her sunglasses. Rachel follows her line of sight down and notices that the top she's wearing does little to cover her up when she's leaning forward and the action has pressed her breasts together. She smirks lightly at Quinn. "Enjoying the view?"

Quinn licks her lips and smiles after pushing out a heavy breath. "It's a lovely view." She pauses and clears her throat before grinning playfully. "Very scenic drive."

Rachel laughs and a warm feeling floods through her. She reaches forward and links her fingers with Quinn's. "I'm so happy right now, Quinn."

Quinn smiles. "I'm glad. I'm happy too sweetheart."

If Rachel hadn't been staring right at her as she spoke she wouldn't have noticed the slight flicker of _something_ across Quinn's face.

"Baby, what's going on?" she asks quietly as she squeezes Quinn's hand.

"What do you mean?"

"I think you know what I mean." Quinn's jaw clenches and she frowns slightly but remains silent.

"Quinn, I know that something's been bothering you for the last few weeks. You refuse to talk about it, but I can see something is weighing on you. Please share it with me. Maybe I can help?"

"It's nothing," Quinn says firmly. She pulls her hand from Rachel's and grips the wheel tightly.

Rachel tries to overlook the sting of Quinn pulling away from her. "I hate when you lie to me."

Quinn whips a look at Rachel. "I'm not lying to you Rachel."

"Yes, you are," Rachel demands instantly. "If it were truly nothing then it wouldn't be bothering you so much that I can see it without you even saying anything. If it were nothing then you wouldn't have a problem telling me about it. Obviously, whatever it is, it's not nothing."

"Well if you'd stop asking me about what's bothering me then I wouldn't have to lie to you."

Rachel's jaw drops open slightly at Quinn's twisted logic. "You know, I don't expect you to tell me absolutely every detail of what you do when we're not together or every single thought you have, but we agreed not to keep secrets from each other anymore."

"I'm not keeping a secret Rachel."

Rachel can tell Quinn's becoming more and more frustrated. Her voice has a barely contained hint of anger. But she's not going to back down. "You are keeping a secret," she says vehemently. "When I first noticed I didn't say anything because I thought maybe you were thinking something important over and that eventually you would talk to me about it. But Quinn, it's been _weeks_ and you still won't talk to me."

"Maybe it doesn't concern you Rachel. Did you ever think of that?" Quinn asks angrily, her voice rising as she continues to speak. "Did you ever consider that your constant harping wasn't doing anything to endear me into confiding in you? That maybe I just needed to figure things out on my own without your constant fucking questions! Just drop it!"

Rachel's eyes widen behind her sunglasses and she swallows hard. Quinn's never yelled at her like this. She can feel the burn behind her eyes and the ache in her chest as she tries to control the oncoming tears. She clenches her jaw tight to try to keep the threatening sob back and settles back in her seat, turning her head away from Quinn. She stares out the window and watches the passing evergreens fly by as they drive through whatever mountain range this is as she tries to figure out how they went from playful flirting to a full blown fight in thirty seconds.

For the longest time the only sound is the quiet hum of the tires on the highway with the occasional noise of a passing car.

"Rachel," Quinn says softly.

Rachel doesn't acknowledge her. She just keeps staring out at the passing scenery. She was finally able to get her tears under control but her eyes are still wet and she tries to discreetly wipe a droplet of moisture from her cheek.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry," Quinn speaks again.

When Rachel feels Quinn's hand touching her shoulder anger surges through her and she pulls her shoulder violently away from Quinn's touch. She hears Quinn gasp in surprise and hurt, but she doesn't really care right now because she's fucking hurt too.

"I thought we were partners, Quinn. I thought of us as a team. You and me against the world," Rachel says angrily and she hates how wet her voice sounds because now it's obvious she had been quietly crying. "Apparently you don't feel the same way. Apparently I'm not worthy of your trust. Apparently my constant fucking _harping_ makes it impossible for you to feel you can confide in me. So fine. You want to keep your secret, keep it. I don't want to hear it anymore anyway because apparently nothing you do or think concerns me."

"That's not true, Rachel. I'm sorry I lost my temper, but you just keep pushing and I don't know how to get you to stop."

Quinn's crying. Rachel doesn't have to look at her to know she's crying. She can hear the sniffle in her shaky breaths. She clenches her jaw and forces herself not to look at Quinn.

"It feels true," she mumbles.

Quinn's quiet for a long time and then with a shaky breath she says, "I'll tell you."

"No," Rachel says quickly, her voice sharp with hurt and anger. "I don't want you to tell me because you feel guilty about yelling at me, Quinn. I want you to tell me because you trust me and love me and you want to share not just your joys, but your burdens with me. The same way I want to share everything with you. That's obviously not the way you feel so you can keep it to yourself because I don't want to know anymore. I don't want to force you into something you don't want."

"Even if that's this relationship," she adds quietly.

Rachel instantly hears the click-click-click of the indicator and as the car slows she turns to look at Quinn. The blonde's cheeks are wet, but the muscle in her jaw is jumping as she clenches her teeth. There's the sound of gravel under the tires as Quinn pulls off to the shoulder of the highway and then complete silence when she slides the gears into park.

"Quinn, I don't think we're supposed to just sit on the side of the highway."

"Just stop, Rachel. Please, just stop," Quinn says quietly. She takes a deep calming breath. "I know that I hurt you with what I said and I'm sorry, but what you're doing right now isn't any better."

Rachel chews the inside of her lip, but doesn't say anything. She feels a measure of guilt for suggesting that Quinn would want out of their relationship, but she's angry and hurting and feeling completely shut off from the blonde and she doesn't know what to do to fix any of it.

"I love you and we are partners," Quinn continues slowly. "Sometimes I'm so busy trying to protect you that I forget that you're so strong on your own and I apologize. It's something I'm going to keep working on."

Rachel licks her lips thoughtfully. "I love that you want to protect me Quinn, but you're not the only one that's protective. I want to keep you safe as well. I want to be strong for you. I want to be your equal in this relationship, but I can't be that if you keep hiding things from me."

Quinn reaches tentatively for Rachel's hand and after a slight hesitation Rachel gives it to her. After a long quiet moment Quinn clears her throat.

"I did lie when I said it was nothing. I'm sorry that I did that. I just don't want you to think less of me."

Rachel's thoughtful for a moment. "And you think that telling me about whatever this is will make me think less of you?"

Quinn's answer is a silent nod of her head.

"Did…" Rachel hesitates because she really doesn't want the answer to this question, "did you meet someone else? Is there someone else?"

Quinn's hand tightens instantly in hers and the blonde reaches her other hand across the short expanse of the car and softly palms Rachel's cheek. "No," she says so clearly that Rachel's instantly put at ease. "No, Rachel. There is no one else. There will never be anyone else for me, but you."

Rachel breathes a sigh of relief and gives Quinn a soft smile. "Okay," she says quietly, "then there's nothing you have to worry about Quinn because there's nothing you could do to make me think less of you."

"You don't know that," Quinn replies.

Rachel chews on her lip. "Okay, I don't know for sure, but I can't think of anything besides you cheating on me that would make me think you were a lesser person than you are. So, here's my proposal. We finish our drive to Seaside. We don't talk about this anymore. I won't ask you about what you've been keeping secret and you won't tell me. You can use the rest of the drive to make your decision. If when we get to the hotel you've decided that you trust me to still love you no matter what then you can tell me then what's been bothering you for the last few weeks. If you decide not to tell me then I promise to accept that and I won't ever ask you about it again."

Rachel leaves unspoken the fact that if Quinn chooses not to tell her it will severely damage their relationship, but from the look on Quinn's face she's pretty sure it doesn't need to be said. Quinn bites her lip and looks imploringly at Rachel for a moment, but then seems to resign herself to Rachel's decision. She slides completely back into her seat and rests her hands on the steering wheel. She takes a deep breath and nods her head. "Okay," she whispers quietly and then looks over her shoulder, turns the indicator on, and pulls them back onto the highway.

The rest of the drive proceeds in heavy silence. Rachel spends most of the drive worrying her fingers in her lap and staring out the window while Quinn keeps her eyes stoically on the road. There's thick forest on either side of them and they're coming to the top of a long rise when Rachel senses a change in the air. It feels thick and clean all at the same time and she takes a deep breath. A small smile flits across her face despite the tension that's been weighing down on her.

"Do you smell that?" she asks quietly.

Quinn takes a deep breath and smiles softly as well. "Salt. We're close."

For a moment Rachel thinks she's staring at some kind of fog bank hanging on the horizon, but then the slope they're on begins its descent and it changes the angle of the low hanging sun, shooting sparkling diamonds across the water.

"Oh," she breathes out slowly. It's the first time she's seen the Pacific Ocean and it's a vast and beautiful sight.

"Yeah," Quinn agrees quietly.

It doesn't take much longer before they're driving through town. The GPS directs them easily to their hotel and Rachel checks them in while Quinn grabs the few bags they brought with them from the trunk. Rachel feels anxious as they make their way up to the room. It's really nice. The hotel has beach access and the room has a small balcony that provides an amazing view. The bed and the tub are huge.

Rachel runs her fingers lightly over the soft comforter covering the bed as she watches Quinn through the open bathroom door. The blonde is unpacking their toiletries bag. They haven't said more than what's necessary since the fight in the car and fear is building up inside of Rachel, turning her stomach and making her feel sick. _What if Quinn doesn't tell her? What if this is the beginning of the end? They love each other, but people break up all the time and they've only been together for a little over a year. What if the strain of everything is proving to be too much for their fairly young relationship?_ All of these things flit through her mind as she watches with trepidation as Quinn moves quietly around the room, getting them settled.

"The sun's setting," Quinn says quietly as she stares out the window. "Come with me down to the beach?" she asks as she holds her hand out for Rachel to take.

Rachel looks at Quinn's extended hand and chews on the inside of her cheek. She resigns herself to the fact that Quinn's not going to tell her and since she agreed to not ask again she takes a deep breath and forces back the tears that threaten at the choice Quinn's making.

"Sure," she says quietly and stands. She grabs the key card and slips it into the back pocket of her shorts, slides her feet into her flip flops and heads to the door. When she realizes Quinn isn't following her she turns to look at the blonde woman still standing where her hand was refused and the pain in Quinn's eyes tears at Rachel's heart. She forces herself to turn back around and walk out the door leaving Quinn to follow quietly.

The sand is still warm, but the breeze coming off the water is cool and Rachel wishes she had thought to grab a jacket. She hugs herself as she watches one of the most beautiful sunsets she's ever seen. The sun is enormous as it sinks slowly beyond the watery horizon. She breathes deeply the salty air and releases it slowly as her mind finds a bit of peace in the rhythmic nature of the waves against the shore. Quinn stands quietly beside her with her hands shoved deeply into her pockets. There's only a few inches between them, but it feels as if there's miles.

"Santana's trying to contact me."

Rachel's head snaps toward Quinn, but the blonde doesn't look at her. She just keeps staring out at the ocean and the quickly setting sun. Rachel takes a deep breath as she tries to make sense of the swirl of emotions that sentence has caused. Firstly she feels a huge swell of relief because Quinn has decided to confide in her, finally. Quickly following that though, is fear. She swallows hard.

"I'm assuming that since we're not on the run right now or being whisked into protective custody that we're not in immediate danger," she finally says.

"No. She doesn't know where we are. I found a want ad in _The Times_."

Rachel visibly blanches. "And how can you be sure it's from Santana? What if it's Russell trying to flush you out?"

Quinn frowns and glances at Rachel.

"It's not like the ad said "Seeking Quinn Fabray", Rachel. It's in code."

"What did it say?"

"Chuck Norris fan looking for lost film _Nunchuks Are For Pussies_. Call Jimmy and then it gave the number to call."

Rachel furrows her brow in confusion. "And that's the message that makes you certain that Santana's trying to contact you?"

Quinn takes a deep breath and licks her lips nervously.

"You remember that kid I told you about? The one Santana and I beat up in first grade?"

Rachel murmurs a yes and then waits for Quinn to continue.

"Well, getting beat up by a couple of first grade girls when you're in third grade and a boy doesn't really do much to help your reputation in the schoolyard. After that he was bullied pretty relentlessly. I feel badly about it now, but we were kids and just trying to survive so I didn't really understand the consequences of my actions." Quinn pauses and lets out a shaky breath as she brushes a few strands of hair from her eyes.

""Anyway, by the time we were in third grade he was in fifth. Honestly, he didn't really show up on our radar. Santana, Brittany, and I kept to ourselves mostly. But I always felt a little weary of him because somehow I knew that if he ever got the chance he'd lash out. Like a caged dog that's been beaten so much, he was just looking for someone weaker than him to prove he was above someone. San and I got detention one day. I don't even remember what we had done, but it meant Brittany was alone for an entire recess. When she came back in she was crying."

Rachel thinks she knows where this story is going. She's seen the ferocity with which Santana defends Brittany and if this boy made her cry she feels sorry for his future children because they would probably feel the pain Santana most likely inflicted upon him.

"It didn't take long at lunch to find out what had happened. Apparently, Jimmy had been bragging during recess that he was a black belt in karate. Brittany had overheard and expressed her doubt that it was true because she knew how long I'd been taking classes and I wasn't a black belt yet. So to prove he was a black belt he pulled out the nunchuks he'd brought to school. Then he forced Britt into a corner against the school and told her that she was a stupid little girl, but she was pretty and he wanted a kiss. She refused. He threatened her with the nunchuks and then took his kiss."

"Where exactly were the teachers while all of this was happening?" Rachel feels a swell of rage for a tiny Brittany taken advantage of with no one to protect her.

Quinn snorts. "Please. Like they would have done anything at all. Jimmy had been bullied and teased for years and they hadn't done a thing about it. He knew they wouldn't stop him, although in their defense the area of the school where this happened wasn't frequented by the teachers on recess duty."

"So I take it you and Santana beat him up again."

Quinn laughs derisively. "It probably would have been better if we had simply done that. I think he knew what was going to happen as soon as he saw us coming. I remember seeing the fear in his eyes and smirking at Santana. Ah, the power. We loved it. Santana a little too much. Anyway, all of the older kids had their own area of the playground where they hung out so when we confronted Jimmy he was basically surrounded by his peers. Santana yelled at him. Told him he'd better never come near Brittany or even look at her or she'd rip his eyes out. Everyone started laughing at him because here was this tiny nine-year old girl threatening a much larger twelve-year old boy and he was actually sweating and shaking."

"I was mostly there for backup. I knew Santana would handle it. Even at that age I knew there was a bond between the two that was special. So she's yelling at him and poking him in the chest and he pulls out his nunchuks like he's going to defend himself with them. Santana just laughs," Quinn's eyes are distant. She's now completely lost in the past as she relives the moment on the schoolyard so many years ago.

"He takes a swing at her and she easily deflects because she's been going to classes with me for well over a year now and I'm pretty sure all Jimmy did was steal his brother's nunchuks from his room because the way he was handling them was completely wrong and awkward. Santana keeps laughing and mocking him as he gets more worked up and his swings become more erratic and I know what she's doing so I just stand there and let her do it, but I'm ready to jump in if she needs me."

"It doesn't take her long to get him so furious he can hardly think and he's flailing his arms around so much trying to hit her that it's almost like he forgets he's holding a dangerous weapon. He swings hard at her and the nunchuks actually come around his body and hit him in the chest and knock the wind out of him. He drops to the ground without Santana ever laying a hand on him and he's gasping for breath and Santana walks over and kicks at the nunchuks laying in the grass beside him and she says, "Nunchuks are for pussies." And then she breaks his nose and we walk away."

Rachel frowns. She doesn't particularly like that her girlfriend and her girlfriend's best friend were some kind of two woman wrecking crew in elementary school, but she can't really hold it against them because they've obviously changed. Well, at least Quinn has.

"So that's how you know it's Santana trying to contact you? Because of some random thing she said to a kid when she was nine?"

"That was Jimmy's last year. Sixth graders go to the middle school. The stories and the bullying went with him. In seventh grade Jimmy walked into his homeroom with a gun and shot himself in front of everyone."

Rachel gasps and tears instantly spring to her eyes. "Oh my God, Quinn." She reaches her hand up and holds onto her shoulder in comfort.

"Santana never said it, but I know a part of her blames herself. The same way that I blame myself for my role in it. I know he probably had other problems and I know that we weren't the ones that spent years relentlessly tormenting him, but we were the ones that started it. And I'll always carry that with me the same way San does."

Rachel's quiet for a long time as she thinks about all that Quinn has just told her and the pieces of the puzzle slowly slip into place. She knows that Santana and Brittany both love Chuck Norris films because she'd been subjected to them at least once a month during her first year with Quinn when it would be their turn to choose the movie they watched. The saying and the contact name in the add make sense now and when she adds that with the fact that the add was posted in _The Times_ and the memories of their lazy weekend games she has no doubt that Santana is trying to contact Quinn.

"I don't think less of you Quinn. You were a child. We all do things when we're children that we're not proud of; that we don't recognize the consequences of."

Quinn's eyes shoot to her and she worries her lip between her teeth.

"That's…I wasn't even thinking about having to tell you the story of why I knew the message was from Santana. That's not why I didn't want to tell you, although I appreciate your understanding."

Rachel crosses her arms over her chest and steps in front of Quinn in the gathering darkness. The last sliver of sun has disappeared and the sky around them is quickly fading from blue to black.

"Then I don't understand. Why would you work so hard to keep Santana's attempt at contact from me? Why would you let it escalate into a fight because you're so afraid that I'll think badly of you?"

"Because Rachel," Quinn says in frustration, "because I want to call the number." Tears instantly form in her hazel eyes and Rachel's heart breaks in sympathy for Quinn.

"Of course you want to call the number baby."

"No. Don't you get it? You're supposed to be my priority. Keeping you safe should be the only thing I'm concerned with, but I can't stop thinking about Santana and why she's trying to contact me. Is she in danger? Is she trying to warn me about something? Does she need my help? Does she just miss me as much as I miss her? I can't stop and I want to call that number so badly, but it feels like I'm betraying you because my first job is to keep you safe and calling that number could open up a Pandora's box of problems for us and I just don't know what to do."

By the time Quinn finishes she's nearly shouting and tears are slowly streaming down her face. Rachel sighs and steps forward, wrapping Quinn up in her arms and holding her close as she presses soft kisses against her cheek and shushes quietly in her ear.

"Quinn," she says quietly, "you shouldn't feel like you're betraying me. I don't feel betrayed. Do you have any idea how many times I've wanted to contact my dads? And I know they're safe. I know there's no reason for them to try to get ahold of me to warn me about some hidden threat. You don't know that. There could be a dozen reasons why Santana's trying to contact you and most of them would have to do with our continued existence."

Quinn sniffles quietly. "You're not questioning my love for you? My commitment to us?"

Rachel chuckles softly.

"I was questioning those things, but only because I knew you were keeping something from me. I've never been in a relationship that lasted this long and I know I can be difficult sometimes. I was becoming concerned that you were rethinking the amount of trouble you were willing to put up with to be with me."

Quinn lifts her head from Rachel's shoulder. She holds Rachel's face in her hands and looks deeply into her eyes. "I will never be tired of you or think that it's too much work to stay with you. You're the love of my life and I wish you'd believe that it's for keeps." She leans forward and kisses Rachel softly on the lips. "And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not telling you right away and for yelling at you today."

Rachel smiles and kisses Quinn back. "You're forgiven, but I want you to remember this. If you'd just told me to begin with we could have avoided an hour of discord."

Quinn smiles in response. "I'll keep that in mind for the future."

"Good." Rachel folds herself into Quinn's arms and places her head against the blonde's chest so she can hear that ever-comforting heartbeat. "Now, what are you going to do about Santana?"

Quinn sighs heavily and tightens her hold on Rachel. "I don't know."

A gust of wind whips past them and Rachel shivers.

"Are you cold Rach?"

"Just a little. That wind is chilly, especially since the sun went down."

"Let's go get some dinner and then head back to the hotel," Quinn suggests. "We can talk more later."

Rachel smiles, kisses Quinn's cheek, and lets Quinn lead her from the beach to find somewhere to eat. They don't talk about Santana for the rest of the evening and Rachel lets Quinn have her silence. It's the not knowing that bothers her the most, so now that she at least knows what's on Quinn's mind her heart is at ease.

Something wakes her and she glances at the red digital display of the clock on the side table to see that it reads 2:09. She moans softly and rolls to her side, reaching her hand out for Quinn. She frowns when all she finds is cool sheets. Rachel lifts her head from the pillow and blinks a couple times as she tries to adjust to the lack of light in the room, but she doesn't really need to be able to see because she can feel that the other side of the bed is empty. She looks toward the door leading to the bathroom, but it's wide open and completely dark. A pit of worry forms in her stomach and she throws back the covers and slips from the bed. As soon as she stands she can see the head of blonde hair she's seeking out.

"Hey baby," Rachel says softly as she opens the door that leads out to the small balcony.

Quinn turns and looks at her, a soft smile melting across her face as she opens her arms and silently invites Rachel into an embrace. The brunette smiles and slips her arms around Quinn's waist and tucks her head into the crook of her shoulder, kissing her neck softly in greeting. The moon is high and bright and the view of the moonlit ocean pounding against the dark sand is breathtaking.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rachel asks quietly. Quinn doesn't answer, but she feels her shake her head no.

It takes an incredible amount of will power, but Rachel forces herself to remain silent and let Quinn speak when she's ready. She's just about to break when Quinn's soft voice breaks the silence.

"She's more than just my best friend, Rach. She's been more of a sister to me than Franny ever was. I love her and Britt. They're my family. Almost my entire life has been spent with them. Nearly every memory I have from the age of six involves them in some way. The only person I love more than Santana in this entire world is you. And I can't help thinking that there's an important reason for her trying to contact me. She knows how much I love you. She knows that you're my Brittany and she wouldn't reach out to me if she thought it would put either of us in danger. But then, Russell knows that. What if he's making her feel like it's safe for her to try to contact me just so he can follow her and be led right to us. I'm just so torn. I don't know what to do Rachel."

Rachel pulls back from Quinn's embrace enough to look into her eyes. The moon doesn't give enough light for her to see anything except for dark, worried eyes. She runs her hand along the back of Quinn's neck and plays gently with soft blonde hairs. Rachel takes a deep breath to steel herself for what she's about to say.

"Quinn, I trust you. I trust you with my life. I trust you with my heart. If you decide that you're able to safely contact Santana then I'll support you in that decision. I know that you have our best interests at heart. Just take your time. Think it through. And whatever you decide I'll be by your side, no matter what."

Rachel can see the glistening of tears in Quinn's eyes. She pulls on Quinn lightly and then her mouth is being covered by Quinn's lips. She slips her tongue gently into Quinn's warm mouth and enjoys the feel of Quinn's tongue working softly against her own in a slow, loving duel.

"I love you so much," Quinn whispers against her mouth before diving back in.

Rachel hums softly and whispers, "I love you too baby," against Quinn's lips. Her hands slip easily beneath the light tee Quinn's wearing and she molds her hands over Quinn's bare breasts. She traps Quinn's tongue between her teeth and sucks hard. Rachel smiles when she feels Quinn's hold on her tighten and the pressure of her hips pushing against Rachel's body. "Let me show you how much," she breathes as she takes Quinn's hand and leads her back into the room.

The sun is streaming into the room when Rachel wakes again. She wipes the sleep from her eyes and checks the clock to see it's just a little before nine a.m. Rachel bites her bottom lip and swipes her tongue across it when she takes in the vision of Quinn lying beside her.

Her eyes start at the crown of golden hair and then move down her slender neck only to pause and appreciate Quinn's bare back; the rise of her shoulder blades creating a smooth valley that flows easily across the planes of her well-toned and muscled back. Rachel's breath becomes slightly heavier as her gaze reaches the sloping rise of her ass, the white sheet just barely covering her, creating a tantalizing image of sensuality and temptation. The muscular pale leg that's poking out the side of the sheet only adds to Rachel's appreciation and desire for her girlfriend.

Rachel reaches out and runs her hand gently along the plane of Quinn's back letting her fingers dip beneath the cover of the sheets before moving her hand slowly back up and along the soft warm skin. She feels Quinn take a deep breath beneath her palm and watches with loving eyes as the blonde head turns against the pillow and sleepy hazel locks on her.

"Molesting me in my sleep?" Quinn asks with a smile.

Rachel fakes a pout. "Are you saying my touches are unwanted?"

Quinn chuckles and turns so she can face Rachel lying next to her. Rachel can't contain her smile when she feels Quinn's hand move across her side.

"Never," Quinn says as she tugs them flush against each other. "I'm saying that your amazing, soft, tiny, sexy hands disturbed me from my sleep." She leans in and covers Rachel's mouth with her own. The kiss is tender and slow and leaves Rachel breathless and wanting more.

When Quinn pulls back Rachel runs her hand up into her hair and pulls her back into her. She slips her tongue deftly into Quinn's mouth and continues the slow tempo of the kiss Quinn started. Rachel had awakened with the hope of morning sex, but now as she and Quinn kiss slowly, their hands moving softly across each other's bare skin, all she really wants is this closeness. The intimacy she feels with Quinn in this moment as they simply kiss with no obvious destination fills her with such a feeling of joy and happiness she can barely contain herself.

Quinn pulls back slowly and trails a few kisses across Rachel's jaw before nuzzling her face into the crook of Rachel's neck. She leaves her head buried there and pulls Rachel into a tight embrace. Rachel waits for a moment as she lets her breathing get closer to normal. When Quinn's arms are still just as tight around her and she hasn't removed her head from its current hiding place Rachel runs her hands up and down her back.

"Baby, are you okay?" she asks softly.

She feels Quinn nod against her and a wet kiss is placed against her neck, but the blonde remains where she is.

"Quinn?" Rachel questions again.

Quinn's voice is barely a whisper when she speaks. "I just love you so much."

Rachel smiles and then furrows her brow slightly because Quinn's voice sounds wet, as if she's holding back tears. She pulls back and forces Quinn to look at her, confirming her suspicions when she sees Quinn's wet eyes.

"And I am so in love with you," Rachel says gently. She runs the pad of her thumb against Quinn's cheek before leaning in and giving her a soft closed-mouth kiss.

Quinn smiles and lets out a husky, self-deprecating laugh. She shakes her head as if she's confused herself as to why she's on the verge of tears. Her cheeks flush with a light blush and she can't meet Rachel's eyes as she speaks lowly.

"It's just overwhelming sometimes. I don't know what to do with all of these feelings I have for you. It felt like I just needed to hold onto you for a little bit, until they could settle."

Rachel smiles brightly and threads her fingers lovingly through the messy blonde hair in front of her. She tilts her head down so she can have eye contact.

"It's like a sleeper wave," Rachel says quietly. At Quinn's cocked eyebrow she continues. "The love is always there, like the waves of the ocean, just ebbing and flowing. Most of the time they're the same size, although some days it's just a gentle lapping against the shore and others it's ten-foot pounding swells. But then there are sleeper waves, where you're walking along and the waves are this normal, manageable size and all of the sudden a huge wave, five times the normal size, just sweeps in and you think you'll be carried off it's so overpowering."

Quinn's quiet as she just stares into Rachel's understanding eyes. Rachel smiles lightly and shrugs her shoulders.

"I'm familiar with the feeling."

Quinn swallows audibly and licks her lips. She slides her hands up from Rachel's waist to her back and pulls her tightly against her.

"And the ocean never goes dry," Quinn whispers.

Rachel smiles. "I'm going to choose to see only the romanticism in that statement and not the innuendo it could so easily be."

Quinn bursts into laughter and buries her head against Rachel's chest. A low rumble comes from the vicinity of their stomachs and they look at each other.

"Was that me or you?" Quinn asks with a smile.

"I think the fact that we're unsure means it's time to get up, get dressed and go eat."

Quinn smiles and kisses Rachel softly on the lips before sliding out of the bed. Rachel remains where she is as she enjoys the view of a completely naked Quinn standing in front of her. When she realizes Quinn isn't moving she forces her eyes up to connect with Quinn's smiling face and dark eyes.

"Shower with me?" she asks softly.

In the next instant Rachel's up and moving quickly toward the bathroom. "You know how important water conservation is to me," she throws cheekily over her shoulder and is rewarded with Quinn's happy laughter following her closely.

(**********************)

"Oh God, this feels so good," Rachel moans loudly as she lowers herself into the warm water of the full Jacuzzi tub. It's their last night in Seaside. They're driving back to Portland in the morning so they have a night at home before they have to get back to their normal routine.

The first morning they had a late brunch and had wandered down to the beach. When Rachel saw all the kites she immediately wanted one and they had gone back towards town to find a shop to buy one. After purchasing a bright yellow butterfly shaped kite they spent the morning untangling lines and running along the sand until Rachel grew exhausted and frustrated. Quinn rented a skim board and Rachel watched with a smile on her face as her girlfriend's natural athleticism and grace amplified by years of martial arts training helped her to quickly excel at the sport. They spent the late afternoon wandering the streets and slipping into occasional shops that caught their eye. After dinner they went back down to the beach and sat in the sand to watch the sun set over the horizon before making their way back to the hotel and making love.

They woke up early and headed along the coast to Cannon Beach and explored the town and seaside until noon when they had a light lunch and headed back to Seaside. They rented large beach tricycles and chased each other along the beach the rest of the afternoon. When Rachel had finally stepped out of hers she'd nearly collapsed her legs felt so weak. After dinner Quinn had suggested they use the Jacuzzi tub since it was their last night and they hadn't made use of it yet.

Rachel's pretty sure it's the best idea the blonde's had all day. She leans against the side of the tub and rests her head against the cushioned edge as a jet stream pounds deliciously into her aching low back. She hums lowly as the jets and warm water begin to work their magic on her aching muscles.

"What are you doing clear over there, Sweets? I want to hold you."

Rachel cocks her eye open and looks at the blonde sitting across from her. She smiles at the frown that's currently spread across Quinn's beautiful, bright pink face.

"I'm sore Quinn and there's a jet right here," Rachel replies lightly as she closes her eyes and rests her head again. She shifts in the water and moans softly as the stream hits her in just the right place. When Quinn doesn't say anything in response Rachel opens her eyes and turns her head to view the blonde. She chuckles internally as she shakes her head. Quinn has a dejected look on her face and her bottom lip is pushed out in a slight pout. Rachel sighs and pushes slowly away from the jet, her movement catching Quinn's eye and making the blonde look up.

"Baby," Rachel says as she moves through the frothing water towards her girlfriend. The corner of Quinn's mouth twitches up as she tries to hide her satisfied smile at having gotten her way. It drops to a frown when Rachel says, "You're such a baby." Her tone is playful and she can see from Quinn's eyes that she's playing as well.

Rachel moves into Quinn's arms, but doesn't stop until she's flush with the blonde's body, her lips centimeters from Quinn's. She smirks and sings softly, "And I was like baby, baby, baby, oooh. And I was like baby, baby, baby, noooo."

Quinn laughs and brings her wet hand out of the water to cover over Rachel's mouth.

"Don't!" Rachel laughs at Quinn's shout and continues to sing as she tries to move her head away from Quinn's hand. She's able to get a few lyrics out unmuffled, but Quinn is determined and follows her until they're both laughing and Quinn has Rachel pinned against the side. Rachel groans and throws her head back because Quinn's pushed her right into a jet and it's pounding into her back as she grapples with a very slick Quinn in front of her.

Quinn growls lowly at the sound Rachel emits and removes her hand as her mouth attacks the woman's neck. After only a few nips and sucks on Rachel's flesh Quinn buries her head against her shoulder and groans.

"Ugh! Rachel," she whines, "now that stupid song is in my head!"

Rachel laughs and runs her hands through Quinn's hair as she tries to comfort the blonde in her distress.

"You need a new song. Think of a new song and sing it to me," she commands even as she continues to laugh quietly.

Quinn pulls back and glares at Rachel before moving back to where she was sitting. She holds her hand out and Rachel grabs it and feels Quinn pull her across the spacious tub. Quinn grasps her hip under the water and directs her to turn so Rachel can settle against Quinn. Rachel breathes deeply and threads her fingers through Quinn's hand and squeezes as she lets herself enjoy the feel of Quinn's body behind her. Her breasts press into Rachel's back and her thighs wrap warmly around Rachel's own thighs. Warm water bubbles gently around them and in the small spaces left between them.

Rachel leans her head back and rests against Quinn's shoulder. She turns so she can place a kiss against the blonde's jawline in the same instant that Quinn's leaning forward and softly kissing her wet shoulder.

"Do you need help thinking of a different song?" Rachel asks with a playful smile.

Quinn hums softly against Rachel's shoulder where her lips are still pressed. She grazes her teeth gently against Rachel's warm skin and smirks when Rachel presses back harder against Quinn.

"I think I have one," she says softly. With a loud voice and a deep Southern twang she starts to sing, "Red Solo cup, I fill you up. Let's have a party. Let's have a party."

"Ack!" Rachel screams as she struggles to cover Quinn's mouth. "No, Quinn! No!" But Quinn just pulls her head back and holds Rachel tighter so she can't get free. She can barely sing any of the lyrics through her laughter as Rachel covers her ears and starts singing "Funny Girl" as loudly as possible.

"Okay, okay." Quinn laughs and finally stops singing. She pulls Rachel's hands from her ears and places small, apologetic kisses along her jaw. "I'm sorry sweetheart, but turnabout's fair play."

Rachel huffs and turns her face away as she crosses her arms indignantly across her chest. "You're not going to get any play if you keep that up."

Quinn chuckles at her antics and continues to place delicate kisses along her shoulder, neck, and cheek. Everywhere she can reach from her position. She trails her hand slowly along Rachel's hot thigh beneath the water. Rachel keeps her head turned so Quinn can't see the smile spreading across her face. She did play the Bieber card so it's only fair that Quinn play the country card.

She tenses slightly when Quinn's warm breath tickles across her shoulder and she begins to sing softly. Rachel instantly knows that playtime is over and Quinn's being serious. She can tell by the way the arm the blonde has slipped around her abdomen pulls her closer. She can tell by the way the hand that was trailing across her thigh is now gripping her hip. But most of all, she can tell by the way she can feel Quinn's heartbeat increase as it pounds against her back because the blonde has pulled her so tightly against her chest.

"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again." Rachel holds on tighter to Quinn. It's not The Cure version and it's not really Adele's version. It's a mixture somewhere in between and Rachel's heart flutters at the realization that it's Quinn's version. Someone else's words put to Quinn's feelings. She feels so full of love in this moment that she can't help the tears that spring to her eyes.

"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am whole again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am young again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am fun again. However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words I say, I will always love you. I will always love you."

"Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am free again. Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am clean again. However far away, I will always love you. However long I stay, I will always love you. Whatever words I say, I will always love you. I will always love you."

Rachel wants to turn and kiss the blonde from the second verse of the song, but she forces herself to keep control because she wants to hear the entire song. She wants to commit this moment to memory. The way it feels to be wrapped up so tightly next to the woman she loves as she serenades her. As Quinn finishes Rachel turns her head so she can look into Quinn's eyes.

She can see everything Quinn's feeling reflecting in the dark hazel staring back at her and it makes her shudder with want and her breath catches in her chest from the depth of love.

"Quinn," she barely whispers out.

"Always," Quinn promises against her lips before she consumes Rachel.

(*************************)

Rachel doesn't want to open her eyes. She knows it's morning because of the warmth she feels across her back and shoulders and because of the small amount of light that seeps through her eyelids, but she doesn't really care. She's exhausted. Rachel's not sure when she and Quinn finally fell asleep, but it couldn't have been more than a few hours ago. The last time she remembers seeing the digital display on the clock it read 3:22.

What started and finished in the tub was picked up again against the bathroom door and then the chaise lounge next to the balcony doors and had finally made it to the bed. Rachel's not sure exactly what happened between them yet because she really hasn't had time to analyze it all, but she knows that something has happened. She feels as if some barrier she had never even known existed was demolished last night. Perhaps it wasn't just last night.

She knows that as much as Quinn loves her she's also always been a little guarded. Whether it was a way of protecting herself or protecting Rachel, she's not sure. But these few days away from their everyday lives combined with Quinn finally confiding in her about Santana and Rachel's reaction to the news seems to have given Quinn the courage to trust her. And with that implicit trust the last barrier was broken. She felt it last night as Quinn took her over and over again. She felt it in the openness of Quinn's eyes as she begged Rachel to make her come. She felt it when Quinn's arms wrapped tightly around her and clung to her as she catapulted over the edge trembling and gasping "I love you", over and over.

And now she doesn't want to get out of bed because she's exhausted and sore and she's warm and comfortable in the bed. She's lying on her stomach and she can feel Quinn's naked body pressed against her side and the warmth of the sun casting its rays over them from the open curtains on the balcony.

Rachel feels Quinn shift slightly beside her and she tries not to gasp audibly when Quinn's leg loops across the back of her thighs and she can feel the evidence of everything they did last night against her hip. When she feels warm fingertips making soft patterns against her back she smiles and takes a shaky breath and finally forces her eyes open.

She does gasp then because the sun is shining directly on Quinn and her hazel eyes look as if they're glowing. Rachel can see the light brown background and each fleck of green and gold seems to flash as the light hits it. Her blonde hair is messy and Rachel would compare it to a halo if she didn't know exactly how she ended up with the sexy mess.

"You take my breath away, Quinn. You're so beautiful."

She smiles when Quinn blushes and Rachel leans forward a couple inches and pulls Quinn's lips between her own to give her a slow, good morning kiss. "I love you so much," she breathes into Quinn's mouth as she finally pulls back.

Quinn smiles and traces her hand slowly across Rachel's back. She nuzzles her head against Rachel's neck and takes a deep breath. When she pulls back there's a determination in her eyes that confuses Rachel for a moment.

"I'm not going to call the number," Quinn says quietly.

Rachel takes a steadying breath because she honestly wasn't expecting this decision.

"Quinn, you know you don't have to make that decision right now."

"I know, but I've made my decision. I'm not going to call it."

Rachel bites her lip thoughtfully.

"Are you sure baby?"

Quinn nods and then moves the hand that's been tracing patterns across Rachel's back and threads it through her unruly brown locks, brushing the strands gently away from Rachel's face.

"I'm sure. I love Santana and I don't think it's a trap, but I also can't take the risk. You're my priority. Staying with you. Keeping you safe. That's what's important and Santana will understand that."

Rachel's quiet for a moment.

"What if she's trying to warn us about something? Or what if she needs your help?"

Rachel sees the sacrifice Quinn's making as she takes a deep breath and licks her lips before answering.

"The ad's been in the paper for months. If it were to warn us about something that old then Mike would have caught wind of it by now and moved us to a new location." Quinn pauses and her voice shakes slightly. "If she needs help, I can't help that. She would understand Rachel. Trust me. She'd understand. If the situations were reversed and it was Santana and Brittany hiding from my father then I wouldn't expect her to risk Brittany's safety to help me out. She'll feel the same way."

Rachel reaches her hand up and caresses Quinn's cheek. Her fingertips trace her cheekbone and then along her jaw until she reaches her lips and she runs them gently across the bruised flesh, a reminder of their passion-filled evening.

"I just don't want you to regret anything, Quinn. So if you're sure I'll support your decision. Just please be sure."

"I love you, Rachel," Quinn states. Her voice is firm. Her eyes don't waiver in their gaze as she locks onto Rachel's brown eyes. "You're everything I need and everything I want. The smallest chance of losing what we have isn't worth the risk. I'm not going to call the number. That's my decision."

Rachel breathes out and smiles. "Okay," she says quietly.

She shifts in the bed so she can pull Quinn close to her and hugs her tightly. Her hands run gently across Quinn's warm back and she places soft kisses against the skin of her neck.

"We should get on the road," Quinn says huskily.

Rachel nods and then sighs softly when Quinn slowly pulls away from her and makes her way to the shower. Rachel lies in the bed for a moment and just stares at the ceiling. Quinn's voice calls to her from the bathroom as she hears the water turn on.

"You coming, Sweets?"

Rachel smiles softly at the nickname and rolls slowly out of the bed groaning quietly at the ache in her muscles. As she slips into the steam of the hot shower and feels Quinn's strong arms wrap around her she hopes that Quinn's made the right decision. Or at least the one she's able to live with.


	11. Operation

**Chapter 11: Operation**

"Oh fuck, Ra-chel," Quinn gasps out. She closes her eyes and bites down on her bottom lip as a deep moan rolls up through her chest. Her right hand grips the couch cushion beneath her as her left threads through brown hair and tugs lightly. Rachel's answering moan vibrates through her core and Quinn's hips shoot straight up, but Rachel's arm across her stomach keeps her from bucking Rachel completely off of her. Quinn rolls her head frantically from right to left across the couch she's lying on as Rachel's tongue slides and twists and flicks against her clit and her fingers push in and pull out in a slow rhythm that offsets perfectly the frenzy she's working against her clit.

Quinn cries out again when she feels teeth graze against the sensitive nub and her eyes fly open to find dark brown staring at her with desire and passion. With their eyes locked on each other Rachel sucks Quinn's clit hard between her lips and beats her tongue furiously against it. In the next instant Quinn feels her entire body clench so hard she curls into herself, her walls tighten around Rachel's fingers and shockwaves of pleasure ripple through her from her stomach to the ends of her fingers and toes.

Eventually, she collapses heavily back against the couch and whimpers lightly when she feels Rachel slowly remove her fingers from inside her. Quinn trembles when Rachel's lips leave a soft kiss against the inside of her thigh and then she feels the small woman moving slowly up her body. She moans and grips the brunette's hips tightly when Rachel slips her tongue inside her mouth and she can taste herself mixed with Rachel.

"God, Quinn. I'll never get tired of watching you come, baby. You're so sexy and beautiful." Rachel's voice is low and throaty as she speaks. She trails kisses along Quinn's jaw and neck and makes her way back to her mouth.

"I've missed you," Quinn says against her lips as she returns Rachel's soft kisses. "It feels like it's been months instead of weeks since our trip to the coast."

"I know. I blame Noah and Kurt," Rachel pouts.

Quinn chuckles lowly and slips her hands beneath Rachel's blouse and presses her hands firmly against the warm skin of her back.

"Bastards," Quinn says cheekily. "I can't believe they have the audacity to be really successful and need our help."

Rachel smiles and buries her head against Quinn's chest. While she's there she opens the top buttons of Quinn's shirt and laves her tongue heatedly against Quinn's skin causing the blonde to hiss and tug her closer. Quinn's the only one that's partially nude and that's only from the waist down. She had made it home from work shortly after eight to find Rachel asleep on the couch instead of in their bed and had woken her simply to escort her upstairs. That didn't happen.

"How much longer is the remodel?" Rachel asks as she works her way across Quinn's exposed skin.

"Mm," Quinn murmurs as she closes her eyes and revels in the feel of Rachel's tongue and lips marking her collarbone. "Just, um, just another couple of weeks. But then there's training the new staff so it's going to be at least another month before we're ready for the re-opening." The small antique shop next to _One Lucky Puck_ had gone out of business shortly after Quinn started working there. Puck had jumped at the opportunity, purchased the space, and was now in the middle of a massive renovation as he expanded the restaurant to include a stage for live music, a dance floor, and twenty more tables. Puck had kept the restaurant operating up to the absolute last moment he possibly could before they had to shut down to renovate and expand the kitchen and knock down the shared wall and make the two establishments into one. All non-essential staff had been laid off so they could collect unemployment during the construction, but Puck kept Quinn on to assist him with the details so he could focus on the overall task of completing the restaurant on time and under budget.

"What about Kurt?" Quinn asks. She slips her hands down Rachel's back and tries to get them under her skirt but the damn thing's too tight so she gives up and goes back up her back because she wants to feel skin right now.

Rachel moves up from Quinn's chest and kisses her mouth for a long time before finally gasping for breath and pulling back to answer. Her fingers play with Quinn's hair as she smiles down at the blonde.

"He's excited and completely frazzled. I think he's overbooked himself, but he insists he'll be fine. He just wants to have everything done before he and Blaine jet off to Europe in November. It's only a few weeks because the holidays are his busiest season and he has to be back for it, but I'm excited for him because I really think that getting away from everything will be good for them. Give them a chance to reconnect."

"Like we did," Quinn murmurs as she locks her gaze on the brunette.

Rachel smiles and nods.

"Either way I'm cutting back on my work schedule in a couple weeks because I have to start my courses and I don't think I can work to the same degree I have been and also do well in school."

"So in about a month we'll be closer to normal and actually get to see each other on a regular basis."

Their work schedules have been completely opposite of each other since their small vacation. Rachel's usually leaving for work when Quinn gets home. In the last couple weeks Quinn's been lucky if she's had thirty minutes with Rachel before she's had to leave for work once Rachel's finally gotten home. Tonight was a comforting change.

Rachel smiles delightedly at her. She trails her fingers delicately against Quinn's neck.

"I can't wait," she whispers. She dips her head even closer to Quinn's and says with a suggestive smirk and an eyebrow waggle, "Why don't we move this party upstairs?"

Quinn grins and rolls to the side to let Rachel slide off of her. She grabs her jeans and panties off the floor where Rachel had haphazardly tossed them in her hurry to ravage Quinn and starts to head up the stairs knowing that Rachel will be right behind her.

"Oh, baby. I almost forgot to take the garbage out." Rachel's hand reaches for the handle of the door leading to the garage and Quinn turns back and frowns at her.

"Just leave it until morning Rach."

Rachel shakes her head and opens the door.

"I don't want to have to worry about waking up early enough to beat the garbage truck. And with how I want us to spend our evening I'm definitely not going to want to have to wake up that early."

Quinn grins and grabs Rachel's wrist before she can walk into the garage.

"And what, my dear Sweets, do you have in mind for us?"

Rachel blushes bright red and her eyes flicker to the ground briefly before she bites her bottom lip and makes eye contact with Quinn.

"I was thinking," she starts out quietly, "maybe, if you wanted to that is and if it doesn't make you uncomfortable in any way, although you are the one that made the purchase so I don't know why it would make you uncomfortable since you obviously thought it was something you wanted to try."

Quinn cuts Rachel's nervous ramble off with a kiss that quickly becomes heated. She pushes Rachel back against the door jamb and tries to press her thigh against Rachel's center but the woman's skirt won't give at all. Quinn pulls back in frustration.

"This skirt is too fucking tight. It doesn't give me any room to get to you."

Rachel laughs and cups Quinn's cheek with her hand. She presses a soft kiss to her lips.

"It'll be off soon enough baby; then you can get to me as much as you want. Now let me put the can out by the street so we can go upstairs and spend all evening making up for the last three weeks of minimal contact."

"Let me do it," Quinn suggests. She knows that because of their schedules Rachel's usually the one that ends up taking the garbage can and recycling bins out to the curb, but she's here now and it doesn't seem right that Rachel's always the one doing it.

Rachel chuckles lowly.

"Quinn, I think you're forgetting something." Quinn lifts her eyebrow questioningly and Rachel leans forward with a loving smile. "You're not wearing any pants, baby."

Quinn flushes with embarrassment. It's completely normal to be either naked or in some state of undress with Rachel, especially in their own home and she'd completely forgotten she was naked from the waist down even though she had her jeans gripped in her free hand.

"I'll just slip them on real quick."

Rachel shakes her head and pushes Quinn toward the stairs.

"I love that you want to help, baby, but you're slowing us down. I'll be real quick and in the meantime you can go get ready for me."

"I almost forgot," Quinn breathes out and a lascivious smile spreads across her face. "Okay, fine. But now you have to tell me what you have in mind for tonight so I can "get ready for you"." She smirks at her use of air quotes.

Rachel squares her shoulders and looks directly into Quinn's eyes, but Quinn can still see the red blush across her cheeks.

"I was hoping that tonight you might put those handcuffs you purchased to use." Quinn's breath hitches and her eyes instantly darken. She licks her lips and sees a smile quirk at the edge of Rachel's mouth as she watches the blonde's reaction to her request. "I was thinking, if you wanted to, of course, that you might like to handcuff me to the headboard and take me with the strap-on. Of course, that's only if it's something you'd be interested in."

Quinn breathes out through her lips slowly as she tries desperately to control her body's reaction to the brunette's suggestion.

"Yes," she hisses. "Yes, I would be interested in that suggestion."

Rachel grins.

"Then get your cute little ass upstairs and get ready for me while I take care of this. I'll be up in a minute."

Quinn nods once and then turns and stumbles up the first few steps of the stairs before she gets better control of her legs and hurries to their bedroom. She drops her jeans in the hamper and goes immediately to the closet and pulls out the box marked "party favors". She smiles at how adorable Rachel can be and opens the box to pull out the necessary items. She's walking back toward the bed when she hears the squeal of tires followed almost instantly by a loud crashing noise and more squealing tires.

Quinn freezes. She doesn't breathe. Her heart feels as if it's stopped beating in her chest. Her skin tingles with heat and yet she feels cold all over. It feels as if she's stuck motionless for an eternity, but in reality it's only a few seconds before the sound of Sam screaming Rachel's name outside sends her flying into motion. With shaking hands she grabs her jeans back out of the hamper. She stumbles down the hallway at the same time that she's trying to slip her legs into them. She's pulling up the zipper and buttoning them when she hits the bottom of the stairs so hard and fast that she can't stop herself from slamming into the opposite wall. She runs down the hallway and rips the front door open and she knows that every single nightmare she's ever had or will ever have will never compare to the sight in front of her.

The blue Waste Management container is on its side and there are garbage bags spilling out of the open lid. Glass litters the sidewalk where broken bottles lie from the crushed recycling bin. What she doesn't want to see; what she can't wrap her mind around is Rachel. She's lying in the small patch of grass that can't even be considered a yard in front of their house and if it weren't for the unnatural way that her leg is jutting to the side Quinn would almost think that she had just decided to lie down for a little stargazing.

The next thing she knows she's kneeling beside Rachel, blood pounding through her veins with a deep, driving beat, her hands shaking and every lungful of air burning with the effort it takes to breathe. Rachel's eyes are closed and Quinn watches her chest intently for any sign of breath pushing through her lungs, but she doesn't see any movement at all from the prone woman.

Quinn feels as if she's moving through some kind of soupy fog, every movement is difficult and her brain can't seem to make sense of what she sees versus what she wants to believe. _What happened?_ she screams inside her mind.

"Rachel?" she finally rasps from her struggling lungs. Their porch light is on and it casts a meager light with too many shadows across her love. There's mud in Rachel's hair which confuses Quinn because it's late August and it hasn't rained in over a week. Everything is dry. She reaches out to touch the darkness and feels sick when her hand slips into the thick, wet substance that is definitely not mud.

"Rachel!" she cries out loudly when her hand comes away soaked in dark, red blood.

"Don't move her."

Quinn's head snaps to her left. Mercedes is hurrying across the street, a large blanket in her arms and a stethoscope around her neck.

"Lord have mercy," Mercedes whispers as she kneels on the other side of Rachel and grabs her wrist, feeling for a pulse. "Quinn, we need to slow the bleeding. Go get some towels or something."

Quinn blinks twice. _Towels. Where do I find towels?_

"Quinn, Sam's calling 911 right now. I need your help. Can you help me help Rachel?"

Quinn takes a deep breath and shudders. Without responding she rises from the ground beside Rachel and staggers back into the house. _Towels. To stop the bleeding._ She rushes into the kitchen, but for some reason she can't remember which drawer they keep the towels in. A memory flashes behind her eyes. Rachel laughing as she winds a damp towel up and snaps it playfully at her. Quinn blinks again and her vision is replaced with her bloody hands as she smears Rachel's blood over each drawer as she frantically opens and closes them until she finally finds what she's looking for. _So much blood_. She grabs as many as she can hold and runs back out to Mercedes. To Mercedes and Rachel. Who is still unconscious, but now has the blanket Mercedes brought spread across her.

For a brief terrifying second the thought that Rachel has died flits through Quinn's head. In her mind she sees the blanket being pulled over her grandfather's head after he finally passed. But no, the blanket isn't over Rachel's head. It's keeping her warm. _Shock._ She collapses next to Mercedes and shoves the towels at her. Mercedes gives her a concerned look, but Quinn ignores her. She can't take her eyes off of Rachel.

She's pale. So pale. And she hasn't moved at all. Quinn bites her lip. Hard. She tastes blood. She watches silently as the towel Mercedes presses to Rachel's head turns dark. Her hand touches something soft and cool and Quinn looks down. It's Rachel's hand. She swallows hard. The last time she held Rachel's hand it had been warm. She wraps her fingers gently around Rachel's wrist and pulls her hand into her lap. She traces the lines in her palm before cupping her hand in both of hers and leaning down to run her lips softly against the soft skin.

Sudden movement to her left pulls her attention away and she sees Sam rushing back toward them with his phone pressed to his ear. His eyes are wide and wet. His voice is frantic. Quinn hears what he's saying, but it doesn't make sense right now.

"She's unconscious, but breathing and her heart is beating. She has a head wound and is bleeding pretty badly and I think her leg is probably broken because it looks…God it looks bad." Sam's quiet as the operator speaks and Quinn turns her eyes back to Rachel. She can see her chest rising and falling now, but it's shallow and slow. Like she's sleeping. She hears Rachel's voice in her mind. _I know the difference between your sleeping breathing and your pretending to sleep breathing._ She closes her eyes and begs Rachel to be pretending.

"It was a dark sedan. I think a Camry or Accord. A newer model. It just came out of nowhere and swerved right into her and then they took off. They didn't even brake. I just, I can't believe this is happening."

Sam's voice registers in Quinn's subconscious. _A hit and run._ She doesn't realize she's shaking until she feels a blanket being wrapped around her shoulders. She looks up to see the kind eyes of the older gentleman from a few houses down. She and Rachel had eaten with him and his wife at the Fourth of July picnic. Rachel really liked him.

"Everything's going to be alright, child," the old man says. Quinn tries to remember his name, but she can't and gives up quickly. "You hear those sirens? They're coming to help this sweet girl."

_Sweets. Sweets._ Quinn's cheeks feel warm and everything goes blurry. She's crying. And as if she's finally broken free from some sort of force field that was holding her back she falls forward and lays her head gently against Rachel's shoulder and cries.

"Sweetheart. Rachel, please wake up. I love you, Sweets. Please don't leave me. Please, Rachel. Please," she begs as her sobs nearly choke her. "I can't lose you, Rachel. Do you hear me sweetheart? You're everything to me. You're all I have. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me."

She feels gentle hands pulling her away from Rachel and she struggles, but Sam tightens his hold around her waist and pulls her back.

"No! Rachel!" she screams. She knows she's being ridiculous and dramatic, but she can't help herself. Sam grunts when she kicks him in the shin, but he doesn't loosen his hold. That's when Quinn realizes that the ambulance has finally arrived and there are two paramedics dressed in white shirts and dark blue pants leaning over Rachel and talking gibberish too quickly for her decipher what's going on with her girlfriend. Quinn stops struggling and Sam loosens his hold, but he doesn't let go of her and Quinn is grateful because her legs feel weak suddenly and she's not sure how much longer they'll hold her.

She watches as the two men work. She focuses on their efficient, confident movements. They work together wrapping a collar around Rachel's neck and Mercedes helps them roll Rachel as they slip a backboard beneath her body. For a moment she wonders how Mercedes knew what to do and how to help and then she remembers that Rachel's friend is in her last year of school to become a nurse. _Our friend_ she amends mentally. Her hand squeezes Sam's and she feels his arm tighten reassuringly around her as the two paramedics lift Rachel onto a stretcher and wheel her to the back of the ambulance.

Quinn moves forward to follow them and nearly has a panic attack when they tell her she can't ride with them.

"You can't take her away from me!" she screams. "Please, she needs me. I need her. Please, let me go with her."

The man looks sympathetic but tells her there just isn't room. Sam speaks up and saves her.

"We'll take you to her Quinn. Let the paramedics get her to the doctor and we'll be right behind. Okay?"

Quinn breathes out quickly and agrees even though every fiber of her being is crying out in pain at being separated from Rachel. She hears Sam ask which hospital they're taking her to, but she doesn't hear the answer because all she can see is Rachel lying in the back of the ambulance and the door closing shut and the love of her life disappearing. The siren splits the air as the ambulance takes off and Quinn stands in the street and listens until she can't hear the sound of it anymore.

When she turns toward where Sam and Mercedes were she sees them talking to police officers giving their statements and a switch flips in Quinn's head. _Hit and run_. She feels a rage like she's never felt in her life boil up in her chest and it feels as if her entire body is on fire. Energy courses through her frame and she can feel the blood pumping through her veins and the warm August breeze brushing softly against the fine hairs on her arms.

Quinn turns and strides purposefully back into her house. She runs upstairs and sees the toys she dropped on the floor in her haste to get to Rachel. She picks them up and puts them quickly back into the box. She catches a glimpse of her reflection in a mirror and grimaces. Blood is caked across her forehead where she leaned against Rachel and there are streaks of brick red across her clothes where she must have dragged her hands. She sheds her clothes and washes off the blood quickly in the sink. _Hit and run._

She swallows hard and grabs clean clothes to change into before grabbing her cell phone, billfold, and keys off the dresser and hurrying back downstairs. She sets the alarm and locks the front door and practically runs back across the street. Sam and Mercedes are still giving their statements to the police officer.

"Is there any way you can finish taking statements at the hospital?" she asks. "I need to be with Rachel."

"I understand that you want to make sure your girlfriend is okay, but it's important that we get statements as quickly as possible after an incident such as this, while memories are still fresh. I promise it won't be much longer."

Quinn bites the inside of her cheek and stands there impatiently as Sam gives a description of the car in as much detail as possible. _Dark color. Tinted windows. Newer model. Common. Non-descript._ Quinn breathes in deeply through her nose and pushes the air out harshly through her mouth as she makes it obvious that she's extremely impatient to get going. _Hit and run._

"Listen, I can just drive myself," Quinn says as she heads toward the car parked in her driveway.

"No," Mercedes says quickly. "Quinn you may not realize it right now, but you're still in shock. It's not safe for you to drive. Just let the officer finish and we'll drive you to OSHU. Roger and Helen already agreed to stay with Tyler for us."

_Roger, that's the old guy's name._

Quinn licks her lips anxiously and glares heatedly at the officer. _Hurry the fuck up_ is clearly stated in her eyes. Finally, the officer turns her sympathetic gaze toward Quinn and closes the notebook she's been writing in.

"Alright, you can head to the hospital now. If we have any follow-up questions we'll contact you. I assure you Miss Lawson, we're going to do everything we can to catch the person that did this and punish them to the full extent of the law."

Quinn merely nods her head. The tightness in her chest makes her certain that the person responsible for this has already been arrested and is currently out on five million dollars bail in New York City. But she's not going to say that. She simply walks towards Sam and Mercedes' car and slips quietly into the back seat.

The car is completely silent the entire ride to OSHU. Quinn doesn't say anything to the couple sitting in the front seat. She simply stares out the window and watches as they pass a few cars on the nearly deserted highway. She's thankful that it's too late at night for there to be traffic. She hears Mercedes give Sam quiet directions about which exit to take and in a couple minutes they're driving up a narrow, winding road with tall trees on either side that block out the lights of the city. They come around a bend and suddenly the night is illuminated in a soft yellow glow as the lights of the large hospital pierce the darkness. They park as close to the entrance of the emergency room as they can and hurry inside.

Mercedes offers to speak to the clerk on duty and Quinn allows her to take over. She has enough on her mind anyway. The last twenty minutes may have been spent in silence, but Quinn's mind hasn't been quiet. She's thinking about that ad in _The Times_. She's fitting disjointed pieces into a puzzle she doesn't have the full picture of and it's frustrating because she knows she's missing some major pieces. The fact remains that Rachel was hit by a car tonight. She was hit by a car on purpose in front of their home. A car that had to actually swerve off the road and up onto the sidewalk in order to hit her. A non-descript dark car that could easily blend into any suburban setting. A car that then sped off, leaving Rachel to... Quinn can't finish that thought. She just can't.

She takes a shaky breath and runs her hands through her hair as she forces the sickness in her stomach back down. She can't get the image of Rachel lying bleeding and unconscious out of her mind and her entire body feels tense. She jumps when Mercedes puts her hand on her arm to get her attention.

Mercedes looks at her with compassion and worry in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Quinn. I wasn't able to get any information yet. They're still assessing her injuries, but the clerk gave me some forms to fill out. Do you want me to help you with them?"

Quinn licks her lips and nods. They spend the next fifteen minutes filling out the registration forms and supplying the hospital with Rachel's insurance information. Mercedes fills out the forms as Quinn answers the questions in a monotone. She's thankful for her friends right now. There's no way she'd be able to focus on answering these questions without their direction and there's no way she could have held onto the pen enough to have legible handwriting with how badly her hands have been shaking. She fidgets with her fingers the entire time and is grateful when Sam brings her a cup of coffee and a bottle of water. He sits beside her as Mercedes takes the forms back to the clerk.

"She's going to be okay Quinn," Sam assures her. "She has to be."

Quinn can't stop the tears from forming in her eyes at his assurances. She thanks him quietly for the beverages and reaches across the arm of the hard plastic chair to squeeze his hand. A tall man with thinning brown hair and wire-rim glasses wearing blue scrubs walks toward them down the hallway and Quinn watches him like a hawk. She knows he's not necessarily Rachel's doctor, but she's hoping that he's coming to give them some kind of news. He stops at the check-in station and speaks quietly to the clerk. When his eyes flick toward her she straightens and begins to rise. Sam follows suit and Mercedes joins them. She's flanked by her friends when the doctor approaches them.

He's young. Mid-thirties, maybe, but that would be stretching it. He has a serious face, but kind, intelligent brown eyes and Quinn instantly feels relief that this man is the one working on Rachel.

"You're the family of Rachel Walker?" he asks, his eyes on Quinn.

"Yes," Quinn answers with a shaky voice and she feels Sam's strong hand on her elbow as he quietly supports her.

"I'm Dr. Paul Adams, the on-call surgeon tonight." Quinn's heart flutters at the word "surgeon" and she forces herself to concentrate on breathing steadily as she listens to what he's telling her. "Rachel's suffered multiple injuries, but she's stable right now. She's suffered a head injury which right now appears to be mostly superficial, a simple laceration, but she's currently getting an MRI so we can verify that there are no skull fractures. Her right leg has sustained a complex fracture that is most likely going to require orthopedic surgery and possibly physical therapy. But right now what we're most concerned about is internal hemorrhaging. We believe she's suffered a ruptured spleen. She's going to be taken directly from imaging to the operating room and I can't guarantee how long the surgery will take. My estimate is a few hours, but things happen and it could take longer. Either way, I wanted to let you know what's going on and to assure you that I will do my best to ensure her a speedy recovery."

Quinn can't find words. She's choking on air. Her throat is closing up. _Internal hemorrhaging. Ruptured spleen. Oh dear God, Rachel._ Thankfully Mercedes speaks for her.

"Thank you Dr. Adams. We appreciate it. May I ask which wing the surgery will take place so we know which waiting room to be in? I know Quinn will want to see Rachel as soon as possible after the surgery."

Quinn doesn't hear his answer, but she knows he must have given one because now he's walking away quickly down the hallway and all she can think is her entire life rests in his hands. Sam and Mercedes gather up the few things they have with them and Quinn lets them direct her down the corridor to a bank of elevators. They take the elevators then walk down more corridors until they reach a large room with sofa benches lining the walls and upholstered chairs in the center of the room. There's a play area for children and it strikes Quinn as incredibly sad that they have to accommodate children waiting for loved ones to come out of surgery.

They're only in the waiting room a few minutes when Quinn feels there's no possible way she can remain still for one more minute.

"I need some air," she says as she rises from her seat and practically flees down the long corridor. She follows signs until she finds her way to an outside lounge area near the cafeteria. She walks outside and leans against the railing as she takes in large gulps of air as if she's a fish just pulled from the lake and thrust onto land, searching for that life-sustaining oxygen.

_This is all my fault_ she cries out in her head. Tears stream down her face and she muffles a sob against the concrete wall as she lowers herself to the ground, her legs finally giving out on her as she allows the events of the evening to tax the last of her strength. _If I'd only called Santana I could have stopped this. I should have called her._

Quinn sits in the shadows against the wall for a few long minutes. She lets out a few more shaky sobs before she finally calms her tears, wipes her face with her sleeve, and takes a shuddering breath. She stares into the surrounding darkness listening to the occasional chirp of a couple of crickets and the distant intermittent hum of the highway. She thought she had everything under control. She thought that if there was even a hint of a threat Mike would let them know and she was prepared to grab Rachel and run. She was not prepared for this. She was not prepared to lose Rachel in one unforeseen moment. She admits to herself that it threw her, but now is not the time to cry and moan in defeat. Now is not the time to be weak or indecisive. Now is not the time to be Quinn Lawson, bartender. She needs to be Quinn Fabray, daughter of Russell Fabray. Best friend of Santana Fucking Lopez. Girlfriend of Rachel Berry, love of her life. Because that's who Rachel needs her to be.

Quinn wipes the remnants of her tears from her face, takes a deep breath and steels her shoulders. She places her hands on the cold cement beneath her and pushes herself to a standing position. She tightens her jaw and her eyes narrow as she makes up in her mind what she needs to do. But she still needs to be smart about it. There's a glint in her eye as a plan forms and she reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone. When she hears the voice on the other end she quietly says, "Hey, it's me. I need your help."

(*****************************)

She gets turned around trying to find her way back to the surgery waiting area. She's been gone almost a half hour when she finally finds her way back, but Sam and Mercedes aren't the only people waiting for her anymore. She frowns when she sees the tall form of Mike Chang talking quietly with Sam. She's on them before anyone sees her and she slams her hands hard into Mike's chest. He stumbles slightly but recovers quickly and grabs hold of her arms before she can hit him again.

"Where the fuck was our warning? Where were you?" she yells furiously at him.

His eyes dart toward a confused Sam and Mercedes.

"Quinn, calm down, please."

"Calm down?" she seethes. "Calm down? Rachel is…" she hesitates as the fear swells within her and nearly chokes her. She swallows hard and pulls free of his grasp. She points a finger accusingly at him. "You were supposed to protect her! Does this look like you did your fucking job?" Even as she says it she thinks _I was supposed to protect her._

"Can we talk about this calmly and in private?" he asks as he eyes the Evans' and motions toward the other side of the room. He goes to put his hand on Quinn's shoulder but she jerks angrily away. He holds his hands up in surrender and follows her to the far side of the room.

"Okay first of all you need to stop jumping to conclusions Quinn and watch what you say around people. How are we supposed to explain your little outburst there to your friends? This whole situation could get blown way out of control if you're not careful."

Quinn glares murderously at him.

"This situation?" she asks quietly. "You mean the situation where Rachel was hit by a car in front of our house? The situation where she's in surgery right now?"

"We don't know for sure that what happened tonight is because of who you are. Accidents happen, Quinn. People lose control of their car, they get scared and drive off. It happens. There's been absolutely no chatter in the Fabray Organization about anyone having any sort of lead on where you and Rachel are. None of your father's known associates are even in the Pacific Northwest right now. We _are_ tracking them. I'm doing my job."

Quinn's sure Mike's doing the best he can, however Santana was able to reach out to her with no one knowing anything and it makes her wonder who else might be able to slip under the radar of the Marshal Service. She knows she needs to calm down though, so she sucks her lips between her teeth for a moment and focuses on her breathing. She gives Mike a slight nod to show him that she's trying and she understands.

"I wish you would have called me, Quinn. I'm playing catch up now, trying to get a handle on this thing."

"I was a little preoccupied," she hisses angrily, "but don't worry the next time Rachel's lying unconscious bleeding to death I'll be sure to give you a call before I wash her blood off my hands."

Mike flinches. His shoulders sag slightly and she sees sympathy in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly. "Is there any news yet on how she's doing?"

Quinn shakes her head. "It hasn't even been an hour yet and the surgeon said it would probably take a few so I don't expect to hear anything for a while."

Mike nods his head and glances back toward the Evans' on the other side of the room.

"Well, it looks like you have friends here so I'm going to get in touch with the officer in charge and see what they have so far. Do you have your phone with you?" Quinn nods yes. "Okay, good. Call me when you get any news. I'll come back to check on you guys and if I find out that this was a hit you'll both get a protection detail until it's safe to move Rachel. But until we know for sure let's treat this as a simple hit and run accident and not go off half-cocked and do something that's going to expose you both. Okay?"

"Okay," Quinn whispers. Mike seems satisfied and squeezes her shoulder reassuringly before quickly walking out. She feels bad lying to Mike, but it really can't be helped. Her priority is Rachel and since it's obvious that the Marshals can't keep her safe then it's up to Quinn.

She makes her way back over to Sam and Mercedes and she can tell the woman is just dying to ask her what's going on, but she restrains herself and just informs Quinn that she contacted Kurt and he's coming to wait with them. Quinn doesn't see the point in everyone being there when absolutely nothing can be done for Rachel, but she also appreciates that they have friends that really care about them. Kurt arrives thirty minutes later and in another fifteen she sees the solid form of Puck walking toward them with a plastic bag in his hand.

She rises immediately and reaches him before he can reach the others.

"I know you asked me not to ask any questions, but can I at least know why you needed two pre-paid phones?" he asks as he hands the bag to her.

She glances inside and sees the two packages she'd requested when she called him earlier.

"One's to make a call. One's to receive one. You paid cash and bought them at two different locations?"

"Yeah." He rubs his close-shaven head for a second and then asks with concern obvious in his voice, "How's Rachel? Any word yet?"

Quinn bites the inside of her cheek to keep her tears at bay.

"No word yet," she manages to choke out on a whisper. "I'll be back." She quickly makes her way down the corridor without giving him a chance to even ask her where she's going.

It doesn't take her as long this time to find a private place. She removes each of the disposable phones from their packages and sets them on a table. She stares at them for a long time as she thinks about what Mike said. There's been no indication that Russell's hit men have found them. The hit and run could have just been a fluke. A simple accident that just happened to involve Rachel. _Rachel_. Quinn closes her eyes against the onslaught of images that tear through her mind.

Rachel smiling at her. The sound of her laughter. The love so evident in her eyes when she catches Quinn watching her. The smell of her shampoo, the feel and taste of her skin, the warmth of her hand clasped in Quinn's palm. How cold Rachel felt tonight when she held that same hand. The blood in her hair. Her broken body lying there motionless, her beautiful brown eyes closed to the world.

Quinn grabs one of the phones and quickly flips it open. She's memorized the number. There's no reason to wait any longer. The line rings three times before an answering machine picks up. Quinn licks her lips and picks up the paper with the other disposable's number on it with trembling fingers. When she hears the high-pitched beep her breath catches in her throat and for a split second she second-guesses herself. Before she's fully aware of what she's doing she says, "Hi Jimmy. I have that movie you're looking for. Give me a call." She reads off the number that's shaking in front of her and disconnects the call.

It's done. Whatever happens now she'll deal with it. She grabs the remaining disposable and slips it in her pocket. On her way back to the waiting room she quickly disassembles the disposable she made the call on and disposes of it in separate trash receptacles. She knows it's probably overkill, but she figures at this point there's no such thing as being too careful.

When she turns the corner into the waiting room everyone stops talking at the same time and she feels a pit of worry settle in her stomach. They're all avoiding eye contact and Quinn can tell something's up.

"What's going on? Did you get news about Rachel?" she asks with a bit of fear tingeing her voice.

"No. No news," Sam speaks up quickly. Quinn sees a flash of what looks like guilt cross his eyes before he dips his head again.

"Okay. What's going on?" She glares at each of them in turn and when she sees Kurt actually flinch she knows she's found the weak link. "Kurt," she barks harshly and he jumps a little and rubs his hands against the thigh of his pants leg. "I'm really not in the mood for this. I can tell something's happened. Tell me now," she practically growls out, her eyes never losing their fierceness.

"Okay, okay," Kurt squeaks. He brushes his hair along his forehead with his fingertips and looks at her, but doesn't quite make eye contact. "We're just trying to figure out what's going on. First Sam and Mercedes tell us about your friend Mike and how you blamed him for not protecting Rachel and then you two have a private confab and he hurries off. Now Puck arrives with two pre-paid phones that you requested and you grab them and disappear without any explanation. We just want some answers."

Quinn licks her lips nervously. Okay. Okay, this is bad. Making a phone call to a friend she's known practically her entire life is one thing. Coming clean to people she's known a little over three months is something else. She knows from the looks on their faces that they're not going to accept some kind of brush off.

Quinn sighs heavily and sits down in a chair as she runs her hands through her hair, buying herself some time to come up with something plausible. _What did Santana always say about lying?_ she thinks. _Stay as close to the truth as possible._

"Rachel and I are here for a reason," she says quietly. She looks up and meets the concerned gazes of their friends. She believes she could probably trust them. They're sitting with her in the middle of the night while she waits to hear about the fate of the love of her life. They didn't need to drop everything and come. They don't need to be here for her and Rachel. But they are and she wants so badly to just come clean and tell them everything. But she knows that the more people that know the truth, the less containment there is. The more chance there is that someone will say something unthinkingly and expose them. Or worse, their knowledge of the truth could put each of these caring people in danger, including Tyler.

She swallows hard. "We're in hiding." She waits for Kurt and Mercedes to calm themselves a little after their audible gasps of surprise. "Where we lived before, and I can't tell you where that was for your own protection, Rachel was just starting out in her singing career. Sam and Mercedes, you've heard her sing. You know how amazing she is."

"Like Barbra herself," Mercedes agrees quietly.

"Well, there was a fan, in the absolute worse sense of the word. He wouldn't leave her alone. He started stalking her. He showed up at all of her gigs, sent her inappropriate letters and pictures, he followed her even when she wasn't performing. We did everything we could to try to keep him away from her. We called the police and got restraining orders, but none of it kept him away." Quinn isn't sure where this story is coming from or how she's able to so quickly come up with it but from the rapt attention she's receiving from her friends they believe every word coming out of her mouth.

"Everything just kept escalating and Rachel was in an almost constant state of fear. It drove me crazy that I couldn't do anything to keep him away from her. No matter what I did he always seemed to find a way around it. The breaking point was about a month before we moved here. Rachel came home from an early morning run and he was waiting for her in her apartment." She's afraid she may have gone a little too far with this tale now because Mercedes and Kurt both have tears in their eyes and Sam and Puck are clenching their jaws and fists as if they want to beat the shit out of this imaginary stalker Quinn's made up at the drop of a hat.

"She wasn't seriously hurt," Quinn assures them and she decides to tone it down a little bit although it may be too late for that. "But it was the last straw. I couldn't stand the idea of what he _could _have done. We decided that since there was nothing the authorities could do and we weren't willing to risk her life for her career that we'd disappear." She pauses and searches the eyes of each of her friends for any doubt. She finds only compassion and she feels the sting of guilt even though the truth is she and Rachel are in much more potential danger than the imaginary stalker threatens.

"Mike is a friend of a friend of a friend. He's in law enforcement and he's been keeping track of this guy just to make sure he doesn't come into the area. Or if he does that we have a warning so we can leave. Tonight, when Rachel," Quinn falters at the very real situation that Rachel's currently in. She sucks in a heavy breath, "when Rachel was hit by that car and they took off like that my first thought was that he'd found us. That's why I was angry with Mike, but he doesn't think it was the stalker. I needed to be sure, but we cut off all contact with our former friends so that he couldn't use them to find Rachel so I needed a way to contact a friend of mine without leaving a trail to where we are just in case it wasn't him. That's why I needed the phones."

The room is completely silent as the group takes in this new information. Kurt's the first one to break the silence.

"Dear Gucci, Quinn. You and Rachel could market your story to Hollywood and make a mint. Maybe _Lifetime_ or the _WE_ network." He taps the tip of his index finger thoughtfully against his lips as he contemplates the ceiling. "You know, I always had a feeling that Rachel was meant for more than planning events. She should _be_ the event. She just has that star quality, you know?"

Quinn swallows hard over the lump that rises in her throat. Yes, she knows. Sam seems to realize that Quinn's suddenly having a difficult time keeping it together and deflects.

"It's good that you told us, Quinn. Now that we all know we can keep an eye out for anyone suspicious hanging around or paying too much attention to Rachel."

Quinn locks thankful eyes on him and he gives her a soft smile in response.

"Yeah," Puck says, anger evident in his voice. "No one's gonna mess with you or my Jewish-American princess. You're my girls and I'll be damned if anyone hurts either of you again." He seems to realize that his words are a little late since they're currently in a hospital waiting to see if Rachel will make it through surgery and he grimaces. "Well, I mean after this. You know, when Rachel recovers."

"Because she will recover," Kurt says with conviction. He reaches across the space separating him from Quinn and tentatively squeezes her hand.

"Definitely," Mercedes speaks up. "Our hot little mama may be a tiny little bird, but she's a tough one too. She's going to pull through, Quinn. I just know it."

Quinn doesn't cry, but she's not able to keep the tears from welling up in her eyes or to stop the way her small chuckle sounds so water-logged. She wipes discretely at her eyes and smiles at her friends.

"Rachel's a little psychic," she says quietly. "Maybe she's connecting with you, Mercedes."

The next few hours drag by in an endless loop of trips to the cafeteria for drinks and snacks, visits to the restroom, pacing around the small waiting room, and the occasional fifteen minute nap. They move in shifts so that the waiting room is never left completely empty because they don't want to miss the doctor when he eventually comes. Quinn tries to get them all to go home. She tells them that it's pointless for all of them to be there waiting when she can just text them when she has word about Rachel. As one body they tell her there's no way they're leaving her until they know how Rachel is.

She blushes at the swell of love she feels for this small group of friends. It's strange for her. She's never had this before. Santana and Brittany. Her family. They were all she ever had. But to have these people she's only known for a few months, still practically strangers, show so much concern and love for her and Rachel is just amazing to her.

It's a little after three a.m. when Quinn feels a large, warm hand shake her shoulder and she jolts awake. It takes her a moment to focus, but then she recognizes Puck's warm hazel gaze and everything floods back to her.

"Doc's here," Puck says quietly.

Quinn gets up so quickly she has difficulty adjusting her equilibrium and she has to grab onto Puck's arm to steady herself. She instantly recognizes Dr. Adams from nearly five hours ago. He looks exhausted with large bags under his tired eyes and his thinning hair flying in uncontrolled wisps around his head.

"Miss Lawson," he addresses Quinn quietly even though they're now surrounded by the waiting group. "Rachel did well through the surgery."

Quinn lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She feels Puck's strong arm around her waist and the warmth of Sam standing on her other side. She can't even express in this moment how grateful she is for these men who seem to intuitively know when to be there for her and when to let her alone.

"It took longer than we expected because there was a little more damage than we were anticipating, but we were able to control the bleeding. We did have to remove her spleen, but everything else was able to repaired. This probably won't be her last surgery, but it was the most important one. Dr. Stiller, an orthopedic surgeon, will be in for rounds at six. I've already referred Rachel to her care so once she takes a look at her x-rays she'll get in touch with you about a plan of action for Rachel's leg."

Quinn nods and licks her lips. "When can I see her?"

Dr. Adams smiles. "She's in ICU for now. Give the nurses about thirty minutes to get her settled in there and then you can go see her." He looks around at the group of relieved friends. "Only two visitors are allowed at a time and they have very strict visiting hours so at this time Miss Lawson will be the only one allowed in to see Miss Walker. Depending on what Dr. Stiller decides she could either be going back into surgery or she could possibly be moved to a regular room at which time the rules about visitors will be more lax."

"We understand," Mercedes speaks for the group even though there are a couple of very disappointed faces.

Dr. Adams smiles again and turns to walk away when Quinn calls out to him.

"Dr. Adams!" He turns to look at her and she bites her lip for a second. "Thank you so much," she whispers.

"You're welcome," he smiles and then turns and walks away.

Quinn's practically shaking she's so anxious to get to Rachel now.

"Quinn," Mercedes speaks up and Quinn forces her attention on the dark woman. "We're going to walk you to the ICU area and then we're all going to go home. We'll arrange a rotation so that we're not all here at the same time. We don't want to overload Rachel when she is able to have more visitors, but we're still going to take care of you. I know you're not going to want to leave here until Rachel does."

Quinn's so overwhelmed with the whirlwind of emotions she's felt over the last few hours that she does something completely out of character for her. She wraps her arms tightly around Mercedes and holds the woman in a warm hug. "Thank you," she whispers softly. Mercedes pats her back comfortingly. Quinn then makes her way around to each of her friends and hugs them, telling them thank you and letting them know how much everything they've done this evening has meant to her. When she finally reaches Puck he cups her cheek in his large hand and places a soft, chaste kiss to her forehead and pulls her into a tight hug.

"I got your back, Q."

Quinn can't speak so she just nods her head against his chest in understanding.

The Intensive Care Unit is not private. There are no doors to close, just curtains for a minimum amount of privacy. She has to be buzzed in and she's instructed to wash and sanitize her hands before she's led to the cubicle where Rachel lies. Quinn's breath catches in her chest at the sight of her.

Rachel's always been tiny. Five foot two and barely a hundred pounds. But standing in that doorway looking at a frail, pale body that looks far too small for the large bed shakes Quinn to her core. She stumbles slightly when she walks more fully into the room. There's a plastic chair against the partition and Quinn drags it closer to the bed and collapses into it.

She chews on the inside of her cheek as her eyes trace over Rachel's body. From the shape of her tiny feet underneath the white blanket all the way up until she reaches her fingers and hand lying limply on top of the blankets. Quinn grimaces at the dark bruises showing on the back of Rachel's hand where an IV tube is taped down. She follows the tube up the length of Rachel's slender arm until she comes to soft tendrils of brown hair. Tears flood her eyes when she realizes there's dried blood caked in her hair and she wonders why they didn't clean her up a little, but then realizes they were a little busy saving her life so she'll forgive them this.

There's a thin tube across Rachel's cheeks and laced into her nostril's. _Oxygen_ Quinn thinks as she bites hard enough on her cheek to make herself jump at the pain. Rachel's eyes are closed, but Quinn can see her chest rising and falling and she can hear the constant beep of the machine she's attached to. She watches the machines for a while and quickly finds the one that shows Rachel's heartbeat. She watches it for a long time, tracking the steady jumping rhythm of the green line; her own heart stopping every few seconds when she thinks it's been too long since the last beat only to start back up when it blips again.

She reaches her hand out tentatively and lets her fingertips barely touch the hand lying on the bed. The last time she touched her, Rachel had felt cold to the touch. She's terrified to feel that again. When her fingers brush against the soft skin of her hand and she can feel the warmth radiating from the woman who holds her heart Quinn breaks.

A strangled sob finds its way from her mouth before she buries her head in the blanket covering over Rachel. She feels the warmth of Rachel's arm against her forehead and she reaches her hands out blindly, but still gently because she doesn't want to harm Rachel in any way. She settles for holding Rachel's fingertips with her one hand as the other one grasps her small bicep. The physical contact helps center her, but she can't stop the tears cascading from her eyes or the wracking sobs that choke her and make her chest ache.

She must fall asleep like that because the next thing she's aware of is a hand on her back, gently shaking her. She raises her head quickly and makes eye contact with Mike. He shares a soft smile with her and then nods toward Rachel.

"I heard she's going to be okay. The nurse I spoke to said they're just waiting to see if she's going to need more surgery for her leg."

Quinn nods as the cobwebs slowly clear from her sleep-deprived mind.

"I have news," Mike says.

Quinn doesn't say anything in response. Her throat feels scratchy and she knows her eyes must be puffy and bloodshot from all her crying. She just wants Mike to spit it out, but she doesn't even have the energy to tell him to do that. She's completely spent.

"You're safe." Mike smiles at her, as if this is fabulous news. Her current position at Rachel's hospital bed doesn't really make her feel all that safe. Mike licks his lips. "I mean it wasn't anything to do with the case. They already got the guy."

Quinn's back straightens and every muscle in her body tenses. _They got the guy that almost killed Rachel._ She wants him. She wants him alone in a room for just five minutes. That's all it would take. Five minutes. Please.

"It was a sixteen year old kid doped up on who knows what. Took his parents car out for a joy ride and lost control. He didn't even know he hit her, Quinn. He thought it was just a trash can. Parked the car back in the driveway and went to bed."

Rage boils up inside Quinn. Some fucking dope-head kid nearly killed Rachel. And he went home and went to bed like nothing happened. She wants to rip his head off. She wants to break things, preferably against his fucking head. She wants to scream and rage and just destroy everything. But she doesn't. She forces herself to take a calming breath and she tightens her hold on Rachel's fingers.

"You're sure?" she asks.

"Yeah, I'm sure. There's physical evidence on the car. His name's Joseph Hart. He already has a couple possession charges. This is going to send him away, I promise." Mike gives her a reassuring look and squeezes her shoulder lightly. "I told you if you follow the rules of the program they won't find you. This was just an accident."

Quinn feels her insides turn ice cold. _If you follow the rules._ She feels the weight of the phone in her pocket and tries to keep the sick from coming up her throat.

"Yeah," she manages to choke out. "Doesn't it look so lucky that Rachel follows the rules," she says bitingly as she turns her back on Mike.

"Quinn," Mike says disapprovingly.

"I appreciate your help Mike. I really do. But your presence makes it more difficult to keep our cover. And since it hasn't really been blown it would probably be best if you didn't hang around too much. I already had to make up a story to explain your presence to our friends."

Mike frowns. "What did you tell them?"

"It's not important right now," Quinn says quietly as her eyes trace every inch of Rachel's sleeping face. "I'll tell you everything once things have settled down, but it's not a priority right now. It's handled. That's all you need to know."

She hears Mike sigh.

"I'll be back later today to check on you two. Maybe then you can find some time to fill me in on whatever you've done."

"We'll see," Quinn answers noncommittally. She knows she's being a bitch to Mike. She can't find the energy to care. When she hears Mike's light footsteps walk away she lays her head back down on the bed next to Rachel.

She broke the rules. She thought it had been a hit. She contacted Santana and now there was no going back. She would have to live with the consequences of whatever her actions brought. But right now all she wanted was to see Rachel's eyes. All she wanted was to feel Rachel return her grasp; to hear her beautiful voice saying…anything really. She just needed Rachel to wake up.

She still has a tight grip on Rachel's fingers when she feels a twitch. She looks up to Rachel's face, but there's no change. And then there's another twitch. She holds Rachel's fingers lightly and a huge grin spreads across her face as Rachel's fingers wrap deliberately around her own. She stares at them in amazement before tracking up Rachel's arm to her neck until she sees two glazed over brown eyes blinking slowly at her. And once again, Quinn breaks.


	12. Aggravation

**A/N 1: First of all I apologize for the length of time it has taken me to update this story. I had some major difficulties with this chapter. I had over 4,000 words and then hit a wall that I couldn't find my way around. I eventually accepted the fact that I couldn't write any more of it because I didn't like what I'd written. So I started over from scratch. Then, in a moment of sheer genius I decided to uproot my entire life, quit my job, and move 300 miles away, back to the city I love so much and that feels like home. So I'm in a massive transition, still looking for employment and living with my sister and brother-in-law.**

**A/N 2: On the day that I was planning to finish this chapter with a couple hours of writing in a quiet corner of a local coffee shop I received a phone call that once again delayed this update. It's one of those moments that feel as if it should only ever be in movies or books. The phone call that tilts your world, that makes you repeat over and over "this isn't happening" (which I'm pretty sure I did), and when everything settles nothing's the same and nothing ever will be the same because what was there is gone and there's nothing you can do to bring it back. So I'd like to encourage every single person that takes the time to read this to please take a moment to think of the people you love, maybe those you take for granted, and tell them you love them. Don't wait until a phone call or a knock on your door or those awful words of "I need to tell you something." Just don't wait. Because maybe it's something you need to say, but maybe it's also something they need to hear.**

**Chapter 12: Aggravation**

"How are we doing this afternoon?"

"_We_ would be doing much better if _we_ get to go home today," Rachel answers.

Dr. Sandra Peters smiles understandingly at the brunette. "Let me see how your fever's doing," she says.

Rachel watches anxiously as the red-headed physician begins the now familiar ritual of reviewing Rachel's chart on her tablet. There's movement beside her and Rachel turns her head to see Quinn rising from her chair and moving to stand beside her. The blonde takes her hand and squeezes gently. It's been a long three weeks. Rachel woke up groggy from sedation only to be told that she had to undergo another surgery almost immediately to repair her leg. The day she was supposed to be released to go home she spiked a fever and was forced to stay as they pumped her full of antibiotics to help fight the infection.

The last few days she's been feeling better and her anxiousness to be out of the hospital and finally home has been growing to an almost unbearable level. However, because she now has a compromised immune system because of her complete lack of a spleen the doctors won't let her leave until she meets certain criteria. She shifts in the uncomfortable hospital bed and then goes rigid as Dr. Peters finally looks up from her tablet and peers at Rachel over her horn-rimmed glasses.

"Your white cell count is good, but your temperature only returned to normal this morning. I'd like to keep you here for another 24 hours." She raises her hand to try to stop Rachel's cry of protest. "If your temperature remains normal through the evening then I'll sign your discharge papers tomorrow morning."

"Why can't you sign them now and we can take my temperature at home and if it rises then we can come back in or I can make an appointment with my regular physician?" Rachel argues.

"Rachel, my job is to take care of your health as best I can. I know that you want to be back home, but for the sake of your health I really think you need at least one more day here to make sure the antibiotics have completely killed off the infection. Okay?"

Rachel's quiet for a moment as she deals with the disappointment of not getting her way. "Fine," she pouts quietly.

Dr. Peters smiles again and pats her uninjured leg reassuringly before she turns back toward the door. As soon as the door latches Quinn releases Rachel's hand and places a quick kiss against her cheek. "I'll be right back," she whispers before she hurries out the door.

Rachel bangs her head hard against the pillow which really doesn't give her the effect she wants. She's so tired of being in the hospital. She wants her own bed. She wants to make her own meals and not be subjected to what the hospital cafeteria provides, no matter how healthy it is. She just wants to go home. She glares down at the cast encasing her right leg. That's not making her happy either. She counts up the weeks in her head. It will be a little over half-way through October before she's able to get it removed and can walk around without crutches. Plus she's already missed the first two weeks of classes and will be missing more until she's able to be in an uncontrolled environment; which will most likely mean waiting another semester to re-take them.

Quinn has told her she should be thankful she's alive and that the break wasn't as bad as they initially thought because apparently they'd been talking about the possibility of needing physical therapy. She is thankful. She's thankful she's alive and she's thankful for her leg. But she's also frustrated from being in the hospital for so long. At first she thought it would be nice to be waited on for a while, and it is when there's a choice, but because she doesn't have any other options it just makes her feel weak and helpless and she hates that feeling.

Almost thirty minutes later Quinn comes back into the room with a couple of hot tea's and Rachel feels instantly upset. They've been here for three weeks and this is not the first time Quinn has retrieved tea for them. It does not take thirty minutes.

"Are you done grilling my doctor?" she asks testily.

Quinn frowns and sets the teas down on the mobile table beside Rachel's bed.

"I wasn't grilling your doctor."

Rachel scoffs loudly.

"You were gone far too long to just be getting tea, Quinn. Isn't it enough that they keep track of every time I use the restroom? Or that I need help just getting out of bed? Do you have to help them degrade me by talking to my doctor behind my back? Like I'm some kind of child?"

Quinn's jaw clenches and she licks her lips before she responds.

"I know this has been hard on you Rachel. I get it. You don't want to be here anymore than I want you to be here. And I understand that the lack of privacy has taken its toll, but I'm not talking about you behind your back."

Rachel was beyond the point of listening. She was just so frustrated.

"Did you get a list of do's and don'ts? Hm? Are you going to make a chart of my sleeping patterns? Do I have to let you know now when I use the restroom or how much I drink or eat? Are you making plans for how exactly you're going to deal with living with an invalid?"

"You're not an invalid, Rachel. It's a broken leg," Quinn replies, her own rising temper evident in her tone.

"And a removed spleen. Don't forget that," Rachel seethes. "Don't let anyone near her. She might catch something. Don't kiss her. You might give her something. You can't go there, Rachel. You might get sick. Is that how it's going to be from now on?"

"At least there is a from now on!" Quinn shouts. Her fists clench tightly at her sides and she turns sharply toward the door before whipping back around to Rachel. "You have no idea what it was like Rachel. No idea." Tears form in her eyes, but she doesn't let any spill.

Rachel feels instantly guilty at the look of pain on Quinn's face, but she's in such a selfish place right now she can't stop herself from speaking. "Well if this is the way it's going to be now then maybe it would have been better if I hadn't made it."

Heavy silence descends instantly between them and Quinn just stares at her until Rachel's gaze falters and she picks nervously at the threads of the blanket covering her lap.

"I'm taking a walk," Quinn says quietly and before Rachel can say anything to stop her she's gone.

Rachel bites her lower lip as tears slip quietly down her face. She turns her head against the pillow, a small sob escaping her throat as she takes a breath. Everything she said to Quinn replays in her mind and she's wracked with guilt. She doesn't mean to take her frustration out on Quinn. Rachel hears the door opening and turns hopefully toward the sound only to be disappointed when she sees the nurse entering the room instead of the blonde she was hoping for.

Rachel isn't sure when exactly she fell asleep, but she can see that night has fallen through the half-open slats of the blinds covering the small window. She feels the mattress dip behind her and she turns as quickly as she can in the bed to face Quinn as the blonde settles gently beside her.

"Baby I'm so sorry," Rachel says quietly through her tears that have instantly sprung back to life at Quinn's presence. "I didn't mean it. I'm just so tired of being here and I hate the lack of privacy and feeling so completely helpless."

Rachel feels a slight tug as Quinn's fingertips comb gently through her hair and hazel eyes stare at her in the soft light of the table lamp. Quinn takes a deep breath and then begins to speak in a soft tone that holds so much pain and love that it breaks Rachel's heart.

"You're going to have some restricted movements for a few weeks while your leg heals and you're going to have to take certain precautions for a while until your body and immune system adapt to having your spleen removed. I understand that all of that is aggravating to you. But every time you feel like giving up or lashing out because of how helpless you feel I want you to pause and think for just a moment. I want you to imagine how helpless I felt that night, hearing the squeal of tires, finding you lying unconscious in the front yard, washing your blood off my hands and not knowing if you were going to live or die. I want you to stop and think about that and how you would have felt if the roles were reversed before you make another thoughtless comment like the one you made today."

Rachel swallows hard and nods her head. She understands. Just the thought of seeing Quinn like that makes her stomach roll with anxiety and her heart clench within her chest. She knows how terrifying it was for Quinn to feel so close to losing her.

"You're right. I'm so sorry, baby. Please know that I didn't really mean it. I'm just so sick and tired of being poked and prodded and I was being selfish and unthinking. Please forgive me."

Quinn's hand moves down Rachel's arm until she's grasping her hand and intertwining their fingers.

"Of course I forgive you sweetheart. I'm sorry I was away for so long."

Rachel shakes her head and scoots closer to Quinn on the bed. Quinn instantly responds by gently wrapping her arm around Rachel's middle and snuggling in as closely as they can get without disconnecting any of the wires and IV's connected to Rachel.

"It's okay. I appreciate that you had the sense to walk away and calm down. I think part of me was purposefully trying to rile you up so that you'd get angry and treat me like normal instead of some fragile flower."

Quinn just hums softly in response and places a gentle kiss against Rachel's forehead.

"You weren't entirely wrong earlier. I did talk to your doctor. But it wasn't what you think," Quinn says quietly. Her fingers drag up her arm and begin to gently run through Rachel's hair in a soothing gesture. "I tried to convince her to let you come home tonight but she was adamant about keeping you at least another twelve hours."

Rachel slides down slightly so she can tuck her head beneath Quinn's chin and rests against the blonde's chest. She focuses for a moment on Quinn's heart beating its' comforting steady rhythm. "I love you so much, Quinn." She turns her head to place a firm kiss against her breastbone and then rests her head back in the spot she loves so much. Her head rises dramatically at Quinn's deep intake of breath.

"I love you too, Rachel. So, so much."

(**************************)

A soft knock on the door followed by the sound of it slowly being pushed open awakens Rachel. She blinks her eyes open slowly and turns her head toward the nurse slowly and quietly entering the room. Quinn is pressed firmly into her side and the blonde grunts softly in her sleep and buries her head against Rachel's neck. The nurse gives Rachel a soft smile as she begins the now familiar process of checking her vitals and switching her IV. When she doesn't attach a new bag of antibiotics to Rachel she quirks her eye questioningly at the young nurse. The slightly chubby brunette leans close to Rachel so that she doesn't disturb a still slumbering Quinn.

"You're done with your IV meds. Dr. Peters said if your temp was still normal you'll be leaving us this morning. She'll be in later to give you at-home care instructions and I'll be getting your discharge papers ready. You should be able to leave by ten at the latest," she whispers.

Rachel can't contain the beaming smile that nearly splits her face. "Thank you," she whispers and squeezes the nurse's hand in appreciation. She feels absolutely elated at the news that she will be able to actually go home today.

Just moments after the nurse leaves there's another soft knock on the door only this time the muscular form of Puck slips quietly through the doorway. Rachel smiles delightedly at him.

"Noah. I get to go home today," she whispers.

Puck grins and sets the box he's carrying on the bedside table before he leans in and gently kisses Rachel's forehead.

"That's great, Rachel. I'm sure Q will be relieved to have you home," he whispers back.

"I'll be relieved to be home. I'm so sick of this place." She looks towards the box and gives him a sly grin. "Did you bring me something?"

Puck lifts the lid on the box to let the warm scent of doughnuts drift into the small room.

Rachel's eyes widen excitedly. "Voodoo Doughnuts?" she breathes out reverently.

"Ugh, you two are so rude," Quinn grumbles sleepily as she rubs her eyes tiredly.

"Sorry baby," Rachel says quietly.

"I brought donuts," Puck tells her as if this will make up for waking her up. He smirks and adds, "Bacon Maple Bar."

Quinn's eyebrow arches and she turns suddenly bright hazel eyes on the man standing on the opposite side of the bed from her. "I suppose you're forgiven," she concedes, "this time." Quinn turns her attention to Rachel as Puck begins gathering napkins for their breakfast. "How are you feeling sweetheart?"

Rachel beams at her and reaches her hand across the small space between them to brush a bit of unruly blonde hair away from Quinn's face.

"I feel good. The nurse has already been in and she said my temperature stayed the same so Dr. Peters will be in this morning to give home-care instructions and discharge me."

Tears glisten in Quinn's eyes at the news and she leans forward to nuzzle against Rachel's cheek for a moment. "That's so good to hear sweetheart. I can't wait to get you home and just never come back here again. I want to kiss you so bad right now."

"Why don't you?" Rachel husks quietly. "I miss your lips so much, Quinn."

"For one, you just got better and I don't want to risk giving you anything that you can't fight off right now and for another, Puck's standing right there and I don't want anyone in the room the next time I kiss you."

Rachel swallows hard at the wanton tone of Quinn's low voice. Three weeks is a long time to go without any kind of sexual contact, especially when she's become accustomed to at least a daily make out session. Even though she's spent the last three weeks sick and in pain, now that she's feeling better her need for intimacy with the woman she's in love with roars to the forefront of her mind. She fists her hand in the front of Quinn's t-shirt and tugs her closer.

"I love you so much," she breathes against Quinn's lips. She can feel the warmth of Quinn's breath puffing against her lips and it wouldn't take much to lean forward and feel the press of each other's lips, but she wants to wait also because she knows that once she starts kissing Quinn she's not going to want to stop.

"Love you," Quinn smiles.

"Alright, alright," Puck says loudly to drag their attention from each other. "I love you, too and I'll have you know that you're the only women I've ever served breakfast in bed to."

Quinn chuckles softly and carefully extracts herself from Rachel's hold. She slips off the small hospital bed and takes the proffered maple bar with strips of bacon deliciously draped across the top. She pulls a chair closer to the bed and sits beside Rachel as she takes her first bite of the donut with a soft moan of pleasure.

Rachel tries to ignore her body's reaction to the sound Quinn made and turns her attention to Puck.

"What kind did you bring me?"

He reaches into the box and uses a napkin to lift a large rounded chocolate doughnut covered in what appears to be Cocoa Puffs. "Vegan Triple Chocolate Penetration," he replies with a smirk.

"I don't think I like you saying the word "penetration" around my girlfriend, Puckerman," Quinn says irritably around the mouthful of pastry and bacon she's currently chewing on.

Puck doesn't take her seriously and simply laughs in response as he reaches into the box for his own breakfast treat.

"What did you get for yourself?" Rachel asks amicably as she ignores Quinn's comment completely.

"Cock 'n Balls," Quinn says loudly with a laugh.

Rachel chokes slightly and then begins coughing as she tries to dislodge the small bit of chocolate from her throat that she sucked down in her initial gasp. Puck's laughing so hard his face is red. Quinn's laughing as well, but she has enough presence of mind to get Rachel a small cup of water and help her girlfriend out.

"Quinn, I can't believe you said that," Rachel reprimands once she's stopped coughing and can breathe again.

"What? It's a doughnut," Quinn defends with a glint in her eyes.

"Yeah," Puck chimes in. "A doughnut I'm saving for Sam as a joke. I'm gonna tell him I have the perfect thing for his huge mouth."

"That's not nice," Rachel berates both of the people in the room currently laughing themselves silly. But it's difficult for her to hide her own smile. She's not really smiling over their crass jokes, but over the simple fact that they're both laughing so hard that she can't help herself.

"You're in much better spirits this morning," says a voice from the doorway none of them had noticed.

The laughter instantly quiets as Dr. Peters enters the room.

"We're celebrating Rachel's release," Puck says as his eyes travel the length of the doctor's small frame and tries to picture what the white coat is hiding. He fixes a smoldering gaze on her amber colored eyes and smirks. "Maybe afterward I could help you out with a little release."

Dr. Peters flushes pink from the attention.

"Noah! Stop hitting on my doctor," Rachel chastises. "Now, Dr. Peters was going to give me my discharge instructions and if you two can't behave yourselves then please feel free to exit the room."

Quinn bites hard on her bottom lip as she tries to fight her laughter at the entire situation. Dr. Peters clears her throat and focuses her attention on Rachel rather than the large hunk of testosterone leering at her.

Puck grins and licks his lips. "I'll give you all some privacy," he says huskily before winking at the red-headed doctor and slowly strutting from the room. He really can't help himself. He's a sex shark and he smells blood in the water.

Dr. Peters quickly goes over Rachel's discharge instructions. She reassures them that eventually Rachel's other organs will compensate for her compromised immune system, but until then she should be careful to avoid infection as much as possible. She gives them a stack of papers and pamphlets with information and instructs Rachel to follow up with her primary physician as soon as she can. When Quinn finally pushes the wheelchair carrying Rachel out of the hospital doors and she's blinded by the mid-September sun she breathes deeply and lets out a sigh of relief she hadn't realized she was holding in.

(****************************)

"Rachel?"

"In here," Rachel responds to Quinn's call for her. Her broken leg is wrapped in plastic and resting on a towel on the edge of the bath. As soon as they got home Rachel realized how little Quinn had been home since Rachel had been in the hospital. The house had smelled stale, but mixed with some other unidentifiable odor that was discovered to be rotten food when Quinn opened the refrigerator and was instantly hit by a wall of stench. She had insisted that Rachel lie down and rest while she cleaned out the fridge and made a quick trip to the grocery store to find something to make for dinner.

As soon as Quinn locked the door behind her Rachel had used her crutches to make her way stiltedly up the stairs. She felt absolutely disgusting and had been dreaming of a relaxing bath for at least the last two weeks. The quick showers she'd been allowed at the hospital had just not been enough to make her feel clean. It took her a while to get her leg wrapped properly and was a learning experience getting out of her clothes without assistance for the first time. The stitches in her side from the emergency surgery had been removed while she was in the hospital, but the incision scar still hurt if she moved wrong and her muscles were incredibly sore.

The familiar scent of rose petals drifting through the vapors that ascend from the warm, comforting water that envelops her is almost as rewarding a feeling as having accomplished the task entirely on her own. She hears Quinn's steps coming closer across the carpeting of their room and she looks up to see a disapproving frown gracing the blonde's face.

"Baby, please don't be mad," Rachel pouts preemptively. She knew when she decided to attempt a bath on her own that it would upset Quinn, but she needed this. She needed to reclaim a portion of her independence.

Quinn sighs and drops her shoulders.

"I'm not mad, Rach. I just worry and I want to keep you safe and unharmed."

She enters the bathroom and closes the door behind her to keep the warmth created from the steaming water from escaping. She sits on the closed toilet seat and inspects the plastic wrapped around Rachel's cast.

"You did a good job," she says quietly. Quinn locks eyes with Rachel and gives her a small smile. "I'm proud of you, Sweets."

Tears instantly well in Rachel's eyes and she grins happily at Quinn.

"Thank you," she whispers past the lump in her throat. She pulls her hand free of the warm water and trails her fingers slowly across the bathtub edge, leaving a trail of water droplets. "You know," she licks her lips and gazes at Quinn from beneath her eyelashes, "I didn't realize how much energy it would take to just get up here and get in the tub. Do you think you'd be able to help me, Quinn?"

Quinn's throat muscles convulse as she swallows hard at the look Rachel's giving her. Her eyes travel slowly over her girlfriend's body; from her shoulders glistening with moisture, to her breasts resting just below the water line and down to her legs distorted slightly from the softly rippling water. Quinn licks her lips and clears her throat.

"How would you like me to help you, Rachel?" she husks.

"Join me," Rachel says decisively. She watches as Quinn's chest heaves slightly from her quickened breath. Quinn slowly stands and Rachel watches as she slowly removes her t-shirt, unbuttons her shorts and lets them fall unceremoniously to the floor, toes off her socks, unhooks her bra, and slips out of her panties without ever taking her hazel eyes from Rachel.

Rachel scoots forward enough to make room for Quinn and a contented sigh escapes her lips as she feels the warmth of Quinn's skin as the blonde slips into the tub behind her and wraps her legs and arms around Rachel. Rachel nestles against Quinn's naked front and focuses her mind on memorizing this moment. For the first time in weeks she feels whole and at ease.

"I had no idea how much of my frustration was because I was missing being close to you until this moment," she whispers. She reaches under the water and pulls Quinn's hand from her thigh so she can lace their fingers together.

Quinn hums quietly in agreement as she places a soft kiss to the back of Rachel's neck. When she starts jostling around a bit Rachel cranes her neck back enough to see Quinn reaching for the detachable shower head and adjusting the temperature of the water. Rachel relaxes as Quinn gently wets, washes, and rinses her hair. She closes her eyes and leans her head on Quinn's shoulder as the blonde works up a lather of body wash on her hands and gently runs her hands over every inch of the brunette's body that she can reach.

The water is cooling from hot to warm when Quinn finishes and Rachel feels as if every muscles in her body is a dead weight. She's a limp noodle in a boiling pot and she couldn't be happier right now.

"This feels so good, baby," she says sleepily.

The response she receives is Quinn's lips resting heavily against her shoulder. A drop of warm water hits Rachel's collarbone and she feels it trickle down her skin. It's followed by another and another. She briefly wonders where the dripping water is coming from when she feels a shudder of breath from the woman behind her and turns her head to realize that the warm drips of water running down her chest are Quinn's silent tears.

"Baby," Rachel says with worry lacing her voice. Quinn keeps her head buried against Rachel's skin. Fear clenches at Rachel's heart and she raises her head from Quinn's shoulder and forces the blonde to look at her. She's met with red-rimmed hazel eyes and a look of pain that makes her stomach roll with fear.

"Quinn, what's wrong? Talk to me baby."

"I love you so much, Rachel," she chokes out finally. Quinn shakes her head as if she's trying to clear her thoughts. "I love you so much and I was so scared. Even when you were in the hospital I couldn't trust that things were going to be okay. I kept thinking that something was going to happen. That I would lose you. I've never been so scared in my entire life and now, sitting here holding you, it just feels too good to be true."

"Oh Quinn," Rachel says sadly. She reaches a wet hand up and cups Quinn's cheek lovingly. "Baby, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere. Okay? I love you too and I know you were scared, but we're okay now. Everything's okay, now. You have to believe that Quinn. Please believe that. Everything's going to be fine."

Quinn bites her lip and Rachel sees a flash of fear mixed with worry in her eyes before Quinn finally nods as if she's accepted what Rachel's told her. Rachel smiles reassuringly and leans forward, pressing her lips against Quinn's for a long moment. It's not long before Quinn's tongue is slipping into her mouth, pushing and sliding against Rachel's tongue, stealing her breath and causing tremors of arousal to ripple through her.

"Let's move to the bed," Rachel pants when she finally pulls away. She's already grappling for the edge of the tub to try to pull herself out when Quinn grabs her wrist and turns her back to face her.

"Everything will be okay," Quinn says firmly. Rachel shivers at the depth and determination in Quinn's eyes as she speaks. "I'll make sure of it Rachel. Everything will be okay."


	13. Risk

**Chapter 13: Risk**

"You're clumping it all in one place. Spread it out a little more so it looks more realistic, like it's draping down in front of the door."

Quinn sighs from her place on the ladder and tries to drape fake cobwebs more realistically over their front doorway.

"No, Quinn, not like that. More gauzy and less clumpy," Rachel continues to direct from her spot in the front yard.

Quinn grinds her teeth together and pulls angrily at the strips of what basically amounts to large cotton balls to follow Rachel's directions. It's the first time they've ever decorated together and the way it's currently going is making Quinn feel dread for November and December when they have to decorate for Thanksgiving and Chrismakkuh.

"How's that, Rach?" she asks as she steps down from the ladder. She takes a few steps back to get a better view and feels Rachel's arms slip around her waist from behind. Rachel rests her chin on Quinn's shoulder and Quinn leans her head against the brunette's as they scrutinize the entryway in front of them.

"Perfect," Rachel decides finally and presses a warm kiss to Quinn's cheek.

Quinn smiles and covers Rachel's arms across her stomach with her own. Her smile quickly turns into a frown.

"Rachel, your hands are freezing! Why aren't you wearing your gloves?"

"I had to take them off to get the caldron set up properly because the buttons on the special effects box were too small and then I was busy getting the witches into their positions and I just forgot to put them back on. I think my fingers might be slightly numb because they don't even feel cold anymore."

Quinn pulls Rachel's arms free of her waist and immediately begins pulling her toward the door.

"Quinn," Rachel whines in protest, "we still have to put the tiny spiders in the cobwebs and set up the grave markers and the half buried human skeleton."

"It can wait. We still have two full weeks until Halloween Rachel. Taking a break to get warmed up isn't going to prevent us from finishing the decorations to your specifications. Besides you've only had your cast off for a few days and you're due for a rest anyway."

Quinn pulls Rachel by her ice cold hand into the house, stops in the kitchen to turn the burner under the tea kettle on, and then pushes Rachel further into the living room and down onto the couch. She tugs the sleeves of Rachel's coat. Rachel chuckles softly and cooperates by removing it from her body; a moment later Quinn's draping a blanket over her shoulders. Quinn grasps Rachel's hands in her own and alternates between rubbing them furiously between her own and blowing warm air into her cupped palms.

"Okay, okay," Rachel says as she pulls her hands free of Quinn's attempts to warm her. "Baby, it's okay. I'm okay. Please stop."

She shrugs her shoulders slightly and smiles sheepishly at Rachel. "Maybe I overreacted a little," she admits quietly.

Rachel smiles and fluffs her now tingling fingers lovingly through Quinn's short hair. A grimace flits across her face.

"What's wrong?" Quinn asks, instantly worried.

"It's just my leg," Rachel says quietly as she rubs gently at her now aching leg.

"That's it," Quinn says as she stands from the couch, "you're off your feet for the rest of the day."

"Quinn," Rachel protests.

Quinn doesn't pay attention and Rachel either accepts that Quinn is going to get her way this time or she is actually in enough pain to not fight the blonde any further. Quinn pushes Rachel so she's reclining against the far arm of the couch. She grabs an overstuffed pillow from the armchair and gently lifts Rachel's leg to rest on it. The cast has been off long enough for Rachel's skin to have returned to normal, but the normal atrophy that takes place from lack of use will take longer to go away and she's supposed to be slowly working her way back up to normal use of the leg.

When she's got Rachel settled on the couch with the television remote within reach she sits on the edge of the couch beside the brunette and runs her fingers through the soft hair she loves so much, dragging her fingers across Rachel's cheek in a surreptitious move to test her temperature. She smiles softly when she feels the warmth of Rachel's skin.

"Baby, I'm fine," Rachel reassures her with a soft smile. "I promise. I was up for too long, but I'll be fine after I rest for a little bit." Rachel grasps Quinn's hand and tugs on her lightly.

Quinn quickly gets the hint and very carefully lies down beside Rachel on the couch. She snuggles into her small body and nuzzles her nose gently against Rachel's warm cheek. She can't contain her smile when Rachel turns and gently kisses her lips. Quinn hums softly in appreciation and swipes her tongue delicately across Rachel's lower lip. Rachel's mouth opens slightly, inviting her in, but Quinn feels like teasing a little and instead of slipping her tongue into the warmth of her lover's mouth she mimics Rachel's open mouth and brushes her lips softly against Rachel's as she breathes heavily into her mouth.

Rachel whines and presses forward but Quinn anticipates the move and pulls back enough to keep the delicate contact. She grazes her teeth gently across Rachel's plump lower lip. Using just the right amount of pressure she bites down and tugs and sucks on the bottom part of Rachel's mouth. Quinn smirks slightly at the low sound that emanates from Rachel's chest and the fingers that tighten and tug on the hem of Quinn's shirt. When Rachel tries to turn into her Quinn presses her hand against Rachel's hip to keep her in place so she doesn't move her leg. She lifts up on her elbow and rises up over Rachel, never disconnecting their mouths as she continues to suck and nip gently on Rachel.

"Quinn," Rachel moans softly.

Quinn can hear the dissatisfaction in her voice, the want for more. She's done teasing and she slips her tongue deeply into Rachel's mouth, sliding and twisting slowly around the warm, soft, wet muscle of Rachel's tongue. The strangled, whimpering moan that escapes Rachel's throat vibrates through Quinn and she gasps as her hips thrust against Rachel's side, searching for pressure and friction. Quinn's hand finds its way beneath the blanket and under Rachel's shirt just as the tea kettle she forgot she turned on emits its high-pitched whistle.

Gasping for breath she pulls back slowly, her eyes instantly finding Rachel's dark eyes, dilated to the size of saucers. Quinn places a soft, lingering kiss against Rachel's lips before she rises to take care of the boiling water. By the time she finishes preparing Rachel a cup of peppermint tea she has control over her libido. She places the steaming mug of tea on the coffee table beside Rachel. When the brunette grabs at her hand to pull her back down Quinn smiles down at her and shakes her head.

"I'm going to get the yard decorations finished up while you get some rest and get warmed up."

"I know a way you could warm me up much more effectively than this blanket," Rachel husks.

Quinn leans down and kisses her slowly, slipping her tongue into Rachel's mouth to taste her again. When her back starts to ache from the awkward position she slowly pulls away and squeezes Rachel's hand reassuringly.

"Later," she whispers. She pecks her lips twice in quick succession and rises up. "Now, drink your tea Sweets. Maybe watch some TV. I'll get us set up for Halloween and then maybe, if your leg isn't bothering you anymore, you can help me fix us some dinner. How does that sound?"

Rachel hums softly as she contemplates Quinn's suggestion. She turns bright, happy eyes on Quinn and licks her lips. "Throw in a movie after dinner with making out on the couch and you have a deal."

"I'll take that deal," Quinn laughs. She can't resist another quick kiss before she pulls her gloves back on and shrugs back into her warm jacket to finish their outside decorations. Sam already has an entire pet cemetery set up in his yard and Rachel's determined to beat him in the category of creativity if not sheer volume. Never mind the fact that there's no neighborhood competition for best decorated house.

(*************************)

Quinn hurries into the house and closes the door as quickly as possible behind her.

"Hey, baby!" she hears called to her. Based on the delicious smells permeating the hallway it's coming from the kitchen.

Quinn removes her wet boots and hangs her dripping wet rain coat and hat on the coat rack above the entryway rug and shakes her hair out. It's been raining for four days with only a few short breaks. She had left the car for Rachel to be able to run errands and go groceries shopping today so she had ended up using Tri-Met, which meant getting a little wet today. She rubs her hands together quickly to warm them up and dry them a little in the same process as she makes her way down the hallway and into the brightly lit kitchen.

Rachel's standing at the stove stirring something in a large sauce pan as she lifts the lid off a pot with steam pouring out of it on a back burner. She's wearing a simple white t-shirt and dark gray capris. Quinn licks her lips and smiles softly because even in the most simple and casual of attire Rachel is attractive. She moves further into the kitchen and rests her hands gently against Rachel's hips, bringing her body close enough to feel the slight brush of Rachel's back against Quinn's front.

Rachel leans back into her in a form of greeting and Quinn smiles wider. She carefully pulls Rachel's long dark hair away and drapes it over her shoulder to leave her neck exposed and leans down to press soft kisses against her skin, moving up the brunette's neck until she reaches the spot just behind Rachel's ear that makes her moan softly in appreciation and press further back into Quinn.

"That smells delicious," Quinn murmurs softly without removing her lips from Rachel's warm skin.

"Hmm," Rachel hums softly. "Thank you. It's a mushroom and wine sauce we'll be having over rice and I'm going to steam broccoli for a veggie."

"Sounds wonderful," Quinn sighs. She finally pulls back from kissing Rachel and rests her head on her girlfriend's shoulder as she watches her expertly cook their dinner. Something about the simple domesticity of the moment makes warmth swell within Quinn's chest and she can't suppress the smile that paints her face. "Do you need any help?"

"I've already cut the broccoli up and all I have to do is turn the burner on when I'm ready. Could you cut a few slices off that loaf of bread?" Rachel asks as she nods toward the loaf sitting on the counter to her left.

Quinn washes her hands at the sink and then pulls knives from the cutting block until she finds the right one and begins cutting a few slices from the loaf of fresh bread. A little over an hour later she's finishing up the dishes while Rachel refills their wine glasses and finds the DVR recording for MasterChef.

She smiles at Rachel as she settles beside the tiny brunette on the couch. "Dinner was the most a-MAZING… de-LIC-ious… piece of culinary art-WORK, I have ever had the privilege…of tasting," Quinn says in her best impression of Gordon Ramsey. Rachel laughs beside her and slaps playfully at her waist before kissing her on the cheek.

"Thank you, baby. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Quinn's exceptionally quiet during the show. She responds to Rachel's comments, but she doesn't make any of her own which is uncommon. Usually their viewing of MasterChef is loud and boisterous as they argue with each other over who should win the Mystery Box challenge and agree with each other on who they can't stand and wish would leave the kitchen. When the show ends Rachel turns the television off and rests her now empty glass on the coffee table before she turns into Quinn and wraps her arms around her tightly.

"Okay. What's going on?" Rachel asks quietly.

"What?" Quinn asks distractedly.

"Something's been on your mind all night, Quinn. I've given you time to mull it all over, or whatever and now I want you to talk to me. What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?"

Quinn chuckles softly and shakes her head.

"It's not bad, I promise. Anyway, it's not all bad."

Rachel tries to cock an eyebrow at her, but fails miserably and Quinn laughs and kisses her wetly on the mouth.

"Okay. So, there's this annual convention for restaurateurs. Apparently it's a great place to make contacts within the business and find new vendors, that kind of thing. Puck goes every year and he was going to go this year as well. He already booked the trip and everything."

Rachel smiles. "And he needs you to watch over the restaurant while he's gone?" she guesses.

"That's kind of the problem. It's this coming weekend."

Rachel furrows her brow. "But this weekend is the grand re-opening."

"Exactly. He'd planned on having the restaurant re-opened sooner, but because of all the time I was in the hospital with you it set us behind on things which now makes for conflicting weekends. He can't be gone for the re-opening, so he asked me to go in his place."

Rachel's eyes widen in excitement.

"Quinn, that's amazing! We could treat it as a mini-vacation." As soon as the words escape her mouth Rachel frowns because she now sees the conflict that's been bothering Quinn. "Except that I have that Halloween party I'm overseeing for Kurt while he and Blaine are in Europe this weekend."

"Exactly." Quinn breathes out heavily and runs her fingers comfortingly through Rachel's hair. "I don't want to leave you," she whispers.

Both women are silent for a long while as they each think over their predicament. Rachel's the first to speak. She shakes her head and gives Quinn a warm smile.

"Okay, this isn't that big of a deal. We've been apart before. I'm not going to let you miss out on this opportunity just because we're going to miss each other for a few days. Where is the convention anyway?"

"Vegas. And we haven't been apart from each other since we came to Portland," Quinn says quickly. "I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone."

"I won't be alone. Sam and Mercedes are just across the street. Noah and Mike are a phone call away. I want you to do this Quinn. You enjoy helping Noah run the restaurant and I think making connections and having this experience will be really good for you. I wish that I could go with you, but I can't this time and three or four days apart isn't going to destroy us."

Quinn's quiet for a long moment, but then she nods her head and leans in for a kiss.

"I love you. Thank you for understanding." She licks her lips and cups Rachel's face in her hands. "I'm going to miss you so much."

Rachel smiles and gives Quinn a quick kiss before she rises from her place on the couch. On her way out of the living room she turns dark eyes on the blonde and smirks.

"Then I guess you should get to work on showing me just how much you're going to miss me."

Quinn shoots her an evil smile and in an amazing display of athleticism practically leaps across the length of the couch to grab at Rachel. Rachel squeals loudly and takes off at a run up the stairs with Quinn laughing loudly behind her. Quinn lets Rachel reach the door to their bedroom before she wraps her arms snuggly around her laughing and scrambling girlfriend. She lifts the small woman and tosses her on their bed before pouncing on top of her. Her legs straddle Rachel's thighs to make it more difficult for Rachel to fight her off with her legs and holds the brunette's flailing arms down on either side of her head with a firm hold.

For a long moment she simply holds her position as she gazes into dark caramel-colored eyes full of mirth, dark brown hair spread out beneath her as her chest rises and falls rapidly as she tries to catch her breath. Quinn feels tears prick behind her eyes as she's filled with overwhelming emotions. In an instant she feels love, fear, and guilt flooding through her. She doesn't want Rachel to see the fear or guilt so she swoops down and captures her lips in a searing kiss that leaves them both breathless. Quinn spends the night alternately making love and taking Rachel over and over again until the brunette tells her she can't take any more and the blonde finally pulls her snugly against her and whispers promises in her ear that she prays with all her heart she can keep.

(*****************************)

**Landed safely. On way to hotel. Love you Sweets.** Quinn sends Rachel a quick text as she watches the passing scenery from the backseat of the cab that's taking her to the hotel Puck had booked for his stay.

"Business or pleasure?"

Quinn glances quickly at the rearview mirror where she can see the reflection of the cabby's eyes looking at her questioningly. She's a little surprised because New York taxi drivers don't normally make conversation with their fares. At least, none of the drivers she's had made it a habit.

"Business," she answers and turns her gaze back out the window in the hope that the driver will get the hint that she doesn't really want to talk to him.

"That's too bad," he says. Quinn sighs when she realizes he did not take the hint. "One of the great things about Vegas, though, is that it's pretty easy to combine some pleasure with your business, if you know what I mean."

She glances at his reflection again and chooses not to comment. She's cursing her luck in choosing this cab. Immediately her mind shifts to thoughts of Rachel and how she would get a kick out of this, comparing their luck in cab drivers to people on _The Amazing Race_. Rachel loves making every day things dramatic by pretending they're on a reality television program. Her phone chimes loudly announcing a text message and she opens it quickly.

**Thank you for advising me of your safe arrival. I miss you already baby. I hate waking up without you. Please don't worry about me while you're away. I want you to focus on work and also have as much fun as possible even though I know that it won't be nearly as much fun as you would have if I were able to accompany you. I love you Quinn. Be safe.**

Quinn chuckles softly and shakes her head as she reads the full paragraph of text message that Rachel sent her.

"Boss getting on your back?"

Quinn frowns at the nosey cab driver, but decides to answer him.

"No. My girlfriend's just telling me to have a good time. How much longer to the hotel?"

"Not much longer. Maybe ten minutes. So your girlfriend let you come to Vegas without her? She must be very trusting."

Quinn's had enough of this cab driver.

"She is and I'll give you an extra twenty dollar tip if you don't say another word until we reach the hotel."

The rest of the drive is uncomfortably silent but Quinn really doesn't care. She's relieved when they finally arrive at the hotel and she quickly pays the driver and slips out with her one bag. She checks in and settles in the plush room Puck had booked for himself. She can't help smiling at the irony that he booked himself a room at the New York New York Hotel and Casino. Quinn double checks the itinerary she downloaded to her phone and decides she has enough time to take a quick shower and change before heading to the Convention Center.

Quinn's exhausted by the time she gets back to the hotel that evening. She made some contacts with a few owners and managers that run similarly styled restaurants to _One Lucky Puck_. There was an overwhelming amount of vendors scattered around so she had simply made note of which ones seemed to fit her needs so that she'd be able to visit them the next day without a lot of backtracking. She had even met a couple music managers who were shopping their bands and artists and she had taken their cards and a couple demo CD's for Puck to listen to when she returned to Portland.

She takes another shower because walking through the heat of the city and amongst so many different people had made her feel dirty. She checks her phone for any more messages from Rachel, but there isn't anything new. She climbs into the large bed and stares for a long time at the empty space beside her. It's the first night they've spent apart in almost six months and Quinn feels a deep sense of loss without the warmth of Rachel beside her. She picks up her phone from the bedside table and holds it up to capture her pouting, sad face beside the empty pillow. It takes her a couple tries to get the look she wants and then she sends the picture to Rachel along with a text message of **Missing you. This bed and my heart feel empty without you.**

Not even two minutes later she receives a reply message from Rachel. It's a replica of the picture she took except that Rachel is in their bed next to Quinn's unused pillow. The message simply says **Ditto. And that is not a **_**Ghost**_** reference. I simply find your sentiments to be worded in such a way to perfectly match my own. Also, I love you.**

Quinn laughs wetly and wipes at the tear that tracks down her cheek before sighing and slipping down into the covers. She quickly types out **Ditto on the love ;)** before setting her phone back on the bedside table and slowly drifting off to sleep.

Quinn spends the next two days talking to vendors, taking pictures of glassware, dishware, tables, and chairs and sending them to Puck. She makes contacts with multiple restaurant owners, vendors, and brewers that she believes will help give Puck's restaurant the advantage he needs to continue to compete in the Portland market. Puck's planned itinerary was to spend three days and three nights in the city and as much as Quinn misses Rachel and wants to cut the trip short by a night she knows that she needs to stay.

Each night in Las Vegas she has had dinner alone and gone back to her room to text or talk to Rachel and then go to sleep. It's her last night in the city and she has an eleven a.m. flight back to Portland so for the first time since she landed in "Sin City" she wanders through the casino portion of the hotel. She's never been much of a gambler, but it doesn't feel right to visit Las Vegas without trying at least one game. She plays a game of blackjack and when she's up twenty-five dollars she walks away with her winnings. She tries a slot machine, but immediately dislikes the lack of any type of control over whether she wins or not. She likes the games that require some type of thought or skill, even though she knows the odds are stacked in favor of the house no matter what she plays.

After a little over an hour and a game of Texas Hold 'Em that leaves her even after she loses the twenty-five dollars she won at blackjack she makes her way to one of the bars connected directly to the casino floor. There are only a few empty tables, but the bar is fairly clear and she takes a seat at the end of the bar, minimizing the chance of people sitting on both sides of her. She orders a gin and tonic and checks the time on her phone. Ten o'clock. She sends a quick text to Rachel, telling her goodnight and that she loves her.

She's only at the bar for ten minutes before someone sits on the stool to her left. She takes in the woman in her periphery, but remains focused on the clear drink in front of her.

"I'll have a Sweet Tight Pussy, please."

Quinn's glad she wasn't taking a drink at the moment that the woman ordered her drink because she's fairly certain she would have been choking on her gin. The woman laughs loudly beside her. Her voice is loud and slightly grating. She reminds Quinn of Julia Robert's annoying friend in _Pretty Woman_ and she can't resist turning to take her in fully.

The woman's hair is an unnatural red and she has it pulled back with a cheetah print headband that matches the dress she's wearing; if you can even call it a dress. It's more like a Band-Aid that's barely wide enough to cover her from breast to butt. She's wearing black stiletto heels that must be at least six inches high and she's smiling at Quinn with a knowing grin. She winks and whispers to Quinn, although her voice is so loud and obnoxious it's not really a whisper.

"It's so hard to find a good tight pussy nowadays, don't 'cha think?" Then she laughs raucously at her own joke.

As annoying as the woman is Quinn can't help but smile at her apparent self-confidence and boisterous personality. She shakes her head and takes a contemplative sip of her drink, choosing not to comment on the woman's statement even though it has instantly made her think of Rachel and now there's a warmth low in her belly and an ache in her heart.

Quinn nods her head yes to the bartender's question of whether she wants another when her gin and tonic is almost gone. When the next glass is set in front of her she quickly finishes off her first and pushes it closer to the bartender as she pulls the new drink closer to her. She can feel the eyes of her bar stool neighbor traveling over her and she steadfastly gazes ahead instead of making contact. She doesn't want to invite flirting.

"You're really hot," the woman says suddenly.

Quinn slowly turns her head to give attention to the stranger beside her. The woman has turned toward her on the stool, her upper body leaning easily against the bar as she chews playfully on the straw in her drink and smirks at Quinn. In her periphery Quinn catches a glimpse of red lace and forces her eyes to not look further down the woman's body.

"Thank you," Quinn says quietly but firmly, "but I have a girlfriend whom I love very much and whatever you're looking for tonight you're not going to find it with me."

The woman laughs loudly.

"That's awesome. I like you," she says as she takes a long pull from her drink, but continues to peer playfully at Quinn over the rim of her glass. She smacks her lips loudly when she puts the now empty glass back on the bar and motions for another to the bartender. "My name's Sugar. As freaking hot as it would be if we hooked up, because I mean look at us, it would be nuclear, I totally respect monogamy so if you're really with someone then I'm not going to hit on you. I have self-diagnosed Asperger's. Just blurt out whatever I'm thinking. It's a blessing and a curse, but I find that it saves me a lot of time because if I don't put you off in the first five minutes then you just might be interesting enough to deserve my time."

Quinn waits a beat as she takes in what Sugar has just told her and then bursts out in laughter. She raises her glass to Sugar, who has just received her second drink and they clink them together with smiles on their faces.

"I appreciate your honesty," Quinn says with a smile.

"You really are hot, though," Sugar insists. "And like, not overtly and enhanced hot like Megan Fox, but you're like totally classic hot, like Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe, you know. Like sexy, and smart, and beautiful all mixed into this fucking hot package. That's rare. Trust me, I know. I work the beat here and I've seen my share of fuglies and hotties. I know when I'm seeing the real thing."

Quinn takes a deep breath and then finishes her drink, but shakes her head no when the bartender asks if she'd like another.

"Could I get a water, please?" she asks instead. She turns to face this eccentric woman that has suddenly turned her last night in Las Vegas extremely interesting. She can't wait to tell Rachel about this entire encounter. "Thank you again, Sugar. You're a very interesting person as well."

"You know what's even more interesting than my appreciation of your beauty or the fact that I was able to pick you out as one of the few lesbians in this bar tonight?"

Quinn shakes her head with a smile of anticipation. She can't wait to hear what this woman has to say.

"No. What's more interesting than that?"

"That I ran into this other hot woman tonight, complete opposite of you. Latina, long jet-black hair, dark eyes and just exuding confidence in her body and sexuality," she pauses and closes her eyes as if she's remembering the woman and then she sighs quietly, "sizzling hot. Anyway," Sugar says as she opens her eyes back up and locks them on Quinn's now extremely intense hazel gaze, "this woman tells me that tonight there's going to be a beautiful blonde woman in this bar and that she's going to sit at the end of the bar so there will be only one option available to sit beside her. She said that I wouldn't be able to resist hitting on this blonde woman, but that she'd quickly and decisively turn me down because she's hopelessly devoted to her "dwarf"."

Quinn focuses on her breathing. This is what she was waiting for. She wasn't sure when it was going to happen or how it would be arranged, but she'd been waiting for it. Quinn swallows hard.

"And what did she say you should do when you found this woman?"

Sugar smiles sweetly. She leans her body closer to Quinn and slowly trails her fingers from Quinn's wrist all the way up her arm until she's sifting through Quinn's short blonde hair. She slips from the stool and moves in so closely that Quinn can feel her cheek flush against her own. Sugar's breath is warm against her ear as she makes a move that to anyone possibly watching would look like a proposition.

"Come with me," she whispers. "I have a room."

Quinn realizes it looks like a proposition because it is a proposition. She instantly balks at the idea of going with this strange woman to her hotel room. The thought of even the appearance of impropriety on her part makes her heart clench in fear of betraying Rachel in some way. But then she thinks of Sugar's description of the woman and what she was told and she knows she has to go.

Quinn takes a sip of water before slipping from her own stool and grabbing her small handbag. She gives Sugar the most reassuring smile she can muster and then follows her out of the bar. They're completely silent in the elevator, but Sugar makes a show of sliding against Quinn and hiding her face in her shoulder. Quinn lets her because she's not sure who could be watching and it's apparent that this woman is being used to get Quinn alone without raising suspicion.

They get out on the sixth floor and Quinn once again follows Sugar without resistance down the long hallway until they come to a stop in front of the door that is apparently her room. Sugar smiles at her and leans sensually against the doorjamb as she slides the keycard through the lock. The light turns from red to green and Quinn feels nervous for the first time since Sugar began talking to her downstairs.

The lights are dim and Sugar doesn't turn them on as they enter the room. Quinn hears the distinctive click of the door closing behind them as they enter the room.

"I'll be in my room," Sugar says sultrily as she runs her fingers slowly along Quinn's arm, "you know, if you change your mind." She winks at Quinn and then walks down the hallway of the suite only to disappear behind a closed door.

Quinn stands there for a long moment as she tries to take in the dimensions of the room. Movement to her right makes her turn quickly and her breath catches in her throat at the sight before her.

"Q."

Santana stands in front of the sliding glass door that leads to the balcony, the lights of the strip bright behind her. Her hair is loose and falls across her shoulders like a dark curtain. She's wearing a tight red off-shoulder mini-dress and she looks absolutely amazing.

"S," Quinn breathes. In the next instant she's across the room and wrapping her arms around her friend. She doesn't even try to hold back her tears as she cries into Santana's shoulder. She feels something wet on her own shoulder and she knows she's not alone. They hold each other for a long time; longer than they've ever hugged each other.

Santana's the first one to pull back. She chuckles wetly and turns away from Quinn to wipe quickly at her eyes and cheeks. Quinn does the same as she tries to compose herself. When they finally have their emotions under control they just stand there for a long moment as they take each other in.

Santana laughs.

"You know, it fucking figures that R would be the only thing that could ever separate us."

It takes Quinn a second to realize what she's talking about and then she chuckles softly and shakes her head. "Q, R, S," she murmurs under her breath. She feels so torn right now. She feels elated at finally seeing her best friend after so long, but she also feels terrified about what it all means for the future. She can only imagine what Santana's feeling right now.

"How is the dwarf anyway?"

Quinn smiles. Of course, Santana wouldn't find the circumstances important enough to drop her favorite moniker for Rachel.

"She's good." Quinn answers simply. Everything feels overwhelming right now. She wants to tell Santana every single thing that's happened over the last six months and she wants to know what's going on with her as well, but it feels like too much all at once and she's not sure how much time they have.

Santana moves toward the bar and begins fixing them drinks. When she hands Quinn a gin and tonic the blonde figures they must not be rushed for time and she follows Santana to the living area of the suite and settles on the couch beside the brunette.

"Catch me up," Santana requests simply.

Quinn takes a deep breath and then begins recounting everything that's happened to her and Rachel since they went into Witness Protection. She tells her about the life they've built and what they've gone through together and how it's made their relationship stronger than she ever thought possible. She tells her about the fear that gripped her the night Rachel was involved in the hit and run. When she finishes their drinks are empty and Santana silently rises, refills them, and returns to the couch.

"I have to admit that I was surprised to hear from you. I know that Rachel is your Brittany and I can't say that I would have contacted you if all of this was reversed, but it makes sense now. You thought Rachel was in danger because I was trying to warn you and you didn't listen."

Quinn nods silently and forces the images of that night from her mind.

"Why did you put that message in the paper?"

Santana's quiet for a long time, her eyes distant as she stares out at the hypnotizing lights of the Las Vegas strip.

"Things are…God, Quinn. Things are just really fucked up right now. I'm not sure what move to make and I needed you and you weren't there. It was the only thing I could think of. I had to at least take the chance that you'd answer."

"Tell me now," Quinn says.

"I don't even know where to start. I think Russell has a guy on the inside because he keeps telling me not to worry about the indictments. He says he's handling things. There's still a contract out on you and Rachel, but it's like he's counting on something else to get him and me out of this and I have no idea what that is because he won't tell me. He says the fewer people that know the better chance of success."

Quinn feels sick to her stomach at this news. She wonders who could possibly be in Russell's pocket. Who can she trust now?

"The trial's being dragged out even more because they never found Abram's body. Russell's capitalizing on that little fact, but also on something the prosecutors and cops are trying to keep under wraps. Abram's wasn't on the job when he infiltrated the organization. He was doing it on his own time because he was dirty. He was just working for a different organization, which is what's keeping Russ so fucking busy right now that he can't make the search for you and the dwarf a priority."

"All the troubles we were having leading up to Abram's being outed as a rat weren't being caused by an undercover cop. They were being caused by a dirty cop working for the Sylvester Organization. She was stirring up trouble with the cops so Russell would look there instead of noticing her moving in on his outlying businesses. Now that he's dealing with all these legal issues she's waging an all-out war. If he doesn't make these indictments disappear soon he's going to lose his hold on the territory. There's just no way to hold it when he's being attacked from both sides, you know."

Quinn allows all the new information to sink in before speaking.

"So Rachel and I are in even more danger than I originally thought because he needs to fix one problem before he can focus on the other and from what you told me he thinks he pretty much has the charges being dropped in the bag."

"Yeah, there's that," Santana agrees. "But there's more. I've been contacted by Sylvester."

Quinn closes her eyes and bites hard on her lip. Santana wasn't kidding when she said things were fucked up. _Good God, what a mess_ she thinks.

"What exactly does she want from you?" Quinn asks.

Santana's quiet for a long time. Finally she says, "She wants Russell out of the way, permanently…by whatever means necessary."

Quinn chews on her lips nervously and nods. She understands what it means. She's personally seen her father get someone out of the way permanently.

She thinks back to the night that forever changed the way she viewed her father. In her mind she walks down the darkened hallway to the light and voices coming from her father's office. She hears the man pleading for understanding. He's crying.

"_Mr. Fabray, please. I've done everything I can without raising suspicions."_

"_I've made assurances to people Ken. Promises that need to be kept. Now how am I supposed to keep those promises if the judge I'm relying on doesn't do the job I'm paying him for?"_

"_Their case is really strong," he whines. "I've done what I can but if I do any more they'll request a new judge and I'll be under investigation and of no use to you."_

"_You don't get it, Ken. You're of no use to me now."_

_Quinn watches in horror as, without a moment's hesitation or apparent thought, her father puts a bullet between the pudgy man's eyes. She slips quietly away and says nothing when her father comes back the next day from the Ranch and her mother begins plans to redecorate the office the following week. She recognizes the man in the news when Judge Ken Tanaka is reported missing and a mistrial is declared in the high profile case he was overseeing._

With a jolt Quinn's mind comes back to the present. She locks eyes with Santana and works her jaw as she clenches and releases through conflicting emotions and thoughts.

"What's she threatening?" she finally asks.

Tears well up in Santana's brown eyes and she closes them quickly and turns away as she swallows hard and forces her emotions back under the surface.

"Brittany," she finally chokes out. "She personally told me that there are only two possible outcomes. I get rid of Russell and keep Brittany or I don't and I lose Brittany. This woman is insane, Q. She's infamous within the circles for being ruthless. It's not an idle threat."

Quinn breathes in deeply and chews on her lip.

"What if you just leave it alone and let the law take care of him?"

Santana shrugs.

"I think Sylvester knows he has an escape plan. She wants to take advantage of the distraction she's helped create. If she plays it safe and leaves it up to the authorities and Russell works his way free of the charges then she'll have lost her opportunity and it will be harder to bring him down. She kind of made it obvious that she wants action taken or she'll consider it to be an answer of "no" on my part."

"What are you going to do Santana?" Quinn finally asks.

Her oldest and dearest friend looks long and hard at her. She visibly swallows before lowering her gaze and whispering, "I'm sorry, Quinn. You know I think of you as family. You're like the sister I never had and I love you, but it's Brittany."

Quinn's quiet as she watches Santana whisk a few stray tears from her cheeks. Her heart aches for her friend. Her heart aches for her father. She hates this entire situation. She doesn't want her father to die, but she also thinks that his life choices have brought this situation about. She also can't help thinking that if Russell were dead it would mean freedom for her and Rachel. They could go back to New York. Rachel could sing again. It wouldn't be the same, but it would be as close as they'll ever get to their old lives. All it will take is her best friend murdering her father.

Quinn places her empty glass on the end table and moves the short distance across the couch. She pulls Santana into her arms and holds her. She feels the Latina tremble in her arms as they cling to each other.

"I'm so sorry, Santana," she whispers against the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry that you ever got mixed up in anything to do with Russell's business. I'm sorry that you've been put in this position." Quinn pulls back and sweeps Santana's nearly black hair away from her face so she can look at her friend. Santana won't meet her eyes.

"Look at me," she urges. Santana doesn't comply so Quinn cups her face and holds her there. "Look at me, Santana," Quinn demands. Finally, those brown eyes connect with her own.

"I love you. You have alternately been my best friend, closest confidante, and the biggest bitch I've ever known and I still love you." Santana snorts laughter and Quinn smiles briefly before becoming serious again. "I understand what you have to do. I understand why you have to do it. I need you to know that no matter what you do, my feelings for you will never change. I will always love you and you will always be my best friend. I'm so sorry," she chokes out past the tears that have begun falling.

Santana nods her head and grimly smiles at her.

"Listen, Quinn. If things don't work out the way I plan, will you do me a favor and take care of Brit?"

"You know I will," Quinn answers quickly.

The two friends sit in a loose embrace on the couch for another long while, each of them lost in their own thoughts. Santana finally speaks into the silence.

"If I thought it would keep Brittany safe I'd just disappear, you know? Just up and leave. It would be hard and I'd hate it, being away from her. But if it would guarantee her safety, I'd do it."

Quinn nods. She knows Santana's speaking the truth. Santana's next question stills Quinn's heart in her chest.

"Would you leave Rachel?"

Quinn turns her head and looks hard at Santana. The very thought of leaving Rachel fills her with such utter heartache it makes breathing difficult.

"If there was no other choice and you knew it would keep her safe," Santana continues, "would you leave her?"

Quinn swallows hard and really contemplates it. Rachel would hate her for leaving. She would want to face whatever dangers there were with Quinn. She would say that they were stronger together and that being together was worth any dangers they may face. But in her mind Quinn sees Rachel's prone figure lying on the ground, blood pooling beneath her head, her eyes closed and her breathing shallow. She feels the coolness of Rachel's hand in her own and feels the overwhelming fear and ache of loss that filled her that night. She would do _anything_ to keep that night from happening again or anything close to it happening to Rachel, ever again.

"If I had no other choice and it kept her safe," Quinn says quietly, her throat closing up at the very thought of what she was about to say, "then yes, I would leave Rachel."


	14. Candy Land

**Chapter 14: Candy Land**

It's mid-morning and Rachel's sifting through vegan recipes on the internet when she hears the scratch of a key in the lock of the front door. She quickly closes the laptop and sets it aside, throwing the blanket she's wrapped up in off of her. The door's opening when she turns the corner of the living room. The sight of Quinn quickly slipping inside and closing the door to the wet cold outside fills her with such joy she can hardly contain herself. She's missed the blonde more than she realized she would. It's only been three days and it was three days too many. The last few months of living together has created such a bond between them that Rachel can't remember a time that she ever wanted to be away from the blonde for any length of time.

Quinn turns from locking the door and shakes her damp hair slightly before looking up and locking her hazel eyes with misty brown ones. Rachel breathes her name, "Quinn", before sprinting down the hallway and nearly catapulting herself into Quinn's arms. Quinn is still cold from being outside and Rachel is warm from the blanket. Rachel buries her head against Quinn's neck where it meets her shoulder. She shudders when Quinn's arms instantly wrap around her, holding her just as tightly as Rachel is holding her.

Rachel's lips graze against the cool skin beneath her and she leaves warm, wet kisses along Quinn's neck as she works her way up to Quinn's cheeks. She kisses all over Quinn's face until the blonde is laughing and then she runs her fingers through Quinn's short blonde hair and pulls her into a deep kiss. Rachel's tongue instantly slips into Quinn's mouth and she sucks on the blonde's tongue without preamble. Quinn moans in response and her fingers dig into Rachel's sides as she tightens her grip and tugs Rachel firmly against her.

"I missed you so much baby," Rachel gasps as she finally releases Quinn's mouth from captivity for a brief moment. She recaptures Quinn's lips in the next instant, her hands pulling and tugging on Quinn as she tries to basically mount her against the front door.

Quinn's hands move under Rachel's ass and she tugs up. Rachel smiles against Quinn's lips and lifts her legs up, wrapping them around Quinn's waist and pressing her body tightly against the blonde. They continue to kiss as Quinn carries her up the stairs. Rachel lets out a squeal mixed with laughter when Quinn practically dumps her on the bed.

"I missed you, too," Quinn pants. She smiles as she stands in front of Rachel and quickly shrugs the coat from off her shoulders, letting it pool on the floor as she toes off her shoes. When she stands back up after removing her socks Rachel grabs hold of her shirt and twists her hands in the fabric, pulling her hard against the bed as she reclaims the blonde's mouth. She can't get enough of her. It feels so good to have Quinn home.

Rachel leans her head back as Quinn licks and nips her way from her collarbone all the way up her neck until she's nibbling gently on her earlobe. Rachel slips her hands beneath Quinn's shirt and pulls it up. Quinn's lips disappear for the few seconds it takes to shed the offending article of clothing and then she's back on Rachel's neck, kissing and sucking. Rachel deftly releases the clasp of Quinn's bra and immediately grasps the now warm skin of Quinn's breasts. She moans softly at the feel of Quinn's nipples hardening under her palms.

Quinn pulls back again and within a minute there are many more articles of clothing littering the floor of their bedroom and Quinn's naked body is pressing against Rachel's own naked flesh as she guides them under the warm covers. Rachel grabs Quinn's ass and pulls her close against her. They both groan at the feeling of each other's arousal.

"I missed you so much, Sweets," Quinn breathes against Rachel's lips.

Rachel moans softly as Quinn's hands slowly work their way across every inch of her body. "Baby," she gasps when Quinn's warm mouth engulfs her breast, her firm, wet tongue swirling slowly around her raised nipple.

"I love you so much, Rachel," Quinn says quietly as her lips and tongue travel down Rachel's body, leaving a trail of quivering flesh in their wake. Rachel loses complete sense of time as Quinn practically worships her body. She can't remember ever being this turned on. Her body is humming, her hips undulating beneath Quinn, her breath raggedly escaping her lips along with sounds she never thought she was capable of making. Her inner thighs are slick with her arousal and her clit pulses with need.

"Quinn," she whimpers. "Baby, please…I need you…please." She can't even form a coherent sentence. She's amazed she can even get those words out. She cries out sharply and her entire body jerks as Quinn dips her tongue into her drenched folds and licks across her clit, sucking it gently between her lips and then rolling her tongue over the hard bundle of nerves. Quinn's fingers slip inside her and a few moments later Rachel's entire body is bowing off the bed, her mouth open in a silent scream as one of the most powerful orgasms of her life rips violently through her.

It's possible that she may have passed out because when she's once again aware of her surroundings Quinn has moved up beside her and is leaving soft kisses across her chest and neck as her hand moves gently across her stomach. Rachel breathes in deeply and drags her hand up from where it's lying limply beside her and threads her fingers with Quinn's. She can feel Quinn chuckle lightly against her cheek.

"Are you coming back to me, Rachel?" she murmurs.

Rachel forces her eyes open and looks into sparkling hazel eyes.

"Fuck Quinn, that was…" Rachel shakes her head as she tries to find the words to describe what she just experienced, "God."

"Mm," Quinn hums as she slips her tongue slowly into Rachel's mouth.

Rachel slides her tongue slowly against Quinn's and grips her hip with her free hand as she squeezes the hand locked in her own. Quinn's hips press against her and she can feel Quinn's arousal wet against her skin.

"You're so beautiful," Quinn husks against her lips.

"Mm, baby," Rachel smiles softly. She can feel her strength returning and she presses up into Quinn until the blonde relents and rolls over onto her back. "You're amazing." Rachel sucks slowly on Quinn's bottom lip before moving slowly down her girlfriend's body. She pauses at her breasts, brushing her lips faintly against the light pink bud. She smiles when Quinn hisses above her and arches into her mouth. Rachel engulfs Quinn's breast and sucks heatedly on the flesh.

"Please, Rachel, I'm so close. It won't take much," Quinn gasps out.

Rachel moans softly over the whimpering sound Quinn makes as she slips inside her. She rises up and hungrily kisses Quinn's mouth as she drives her fingers deeper into the tight heat of Quinn's sex. She drags her mouth across Quinn's jaw and breathes hotly into her ear.

"You feel so good, Quinn; so hot and wet. God, baby, I love you so much."

"Unng, Rachel, Rachel, Rachel," Quinn gasps beneath her.

Rachel presses her thumb against Quinn's clit as she curls her fingers and the blonde clenches hard as she comes around them. She eases Quinn slowly through her orgasm and smiles when the blonde whimpers as she pulls her fingers free.

"I love you so much," Quinn pants softly against Rachel's ear.

"I love you too. So much," Rachel smiles as she places a gentle kiss against Quinn's cheek and then snuggles tightly against her. "I was so lonely without you. I had the banquet and I went out with Kurt and Blaine one night and then Mercedes roped me into helping her decorate for her and Sam's Halloween party tonight. But every moment I kept thinking about you and wishing you were here. The nights were the worst. I don't think I can sleep alone anymore."

"If I can help it you won't have to ever again."

Rachel smiles and glides her hand along the plane of Quinn's stomach.

"I can't wait to see you in the costume I got for you."

Quinn laughs. "You got me a costume?"

"Mhmm," Rachel murmurs sleepily, "you're gonna be Supergirl and I'm Wonder Woman."

"Oh my God," Quinn groans and laughs. "Do I at least get to use the lasso on you?"

"No, that's my lasso. You'll have to get your own lasso."

"Supergirl doesn't have a lasso," she pouts.

Rachel hums softly before giving her reply.

"True, but she's super strong so she doesn't need a lasso. You could just use your superior strength on me and bend me to your will."

"You want me to bend you to my will?" Quinn asks darkly.

Rachel chuckles and nuzzles her nose against Quinn's neck.

"I do, just not right now. Right now I want to take a nap with you because I haven't slept well in the last three days and you just worked me over like it was your job and I'm exhausted. Then we have to get up and get ready for Sam and Mercedes' party."

"M'kay," Quinn says quietly. She reaches down and pulls the sheet and blanket up over their naked bodies and then wraps Rachel up in her arms as they drift to sleep together.

When Rachel wakes up it's after three in the afternoon. She stretches lazily and smiles at Quinn still sleeping soundly beside her. She leans in and gently kisses her cheek before carefully extricating herself from the warmth of her lover's embrace and the tangled sheets. She takes her time in the shower letting the warm water wash over her body and follows it up with the vanilla and cinnamon body lotion Quinn loves. She slips into a pair of yoga pants and a cotton tee while she does her hair.

Rachel turns the hair dryer off as the door to the bathroom swings open. She smiles at Quinn in the mirror as the blonde walks up behind her and slips her hands along Rachel's waist.

"You showered without me," Quinn pouts as she places a soft kiss on Rachel's shoulder.

"We only have a few hours before the Evans party starts. They're having it early because of Ty and there are other kids coming."

"Hmm," Quinn mutters softly. She stands there for a long moment, her eyes closed, her lips resting against the brunette's shoulder and Rachel just watches her in the mirror.

Quinn's hands tug against Rachel's waist and she gives in to the movement and turns to face her. Quinn kisses her gently, her lips moving softly against Rachel's. Rachel smiles into the kiss and lets Quinn set the pace, but soon it becomes almost desperate and an uneasy feeling creeps up into Rachel's chest. She pulls back slowly and is shocked to see tears in Quinn's hazel eyes.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asks worriedly.

"I have to tell you something," Quinn gasps wetly as she visibly tries to rein in her emotions. She shakes her head as if in an internal struggle and runs one hand through Rachel's hair. "I have to tell you something and I know you're going to be angry with me, but I'm terrified that you won't forgive me. And I need you to forgive me Rachel. I need you to understand that I love you and I didn't mean to keep anything from you. I need you to know that I'm just trying to keep you safe because I love you so much. You're my world."

"You're scaring me, Quinn."

Quinn takes a deep breath and runs her hands reassuringly over Rachel's shoulders and arms until she finally reaches her hands and grasps them tightly.

"When you were hurt," she starts tearfully, "I was so scared. You have no idea, just seeing you like that, not knowing if you were going live or…I just was _so scared_. And I thought it was my fault, that Russell had found us and I didn't protect you."

"But it wasn't Russell, Quinn and it wasn't your fault. Even if he had found us it wouldn't have been your fault," Rachel smiles softly.

"I thought that I had ignored Santana's warning; that the message in the paper was her trying to tell me that we'd been compromised."

Rachel's skin suddenly feels hot and tingly and there's a heavy, sick feeling in her stomach.

"You called her," she whispers.

Quinn nods and bites her lip.

"I did. We had limited phone contact and then when the opportunity to go to Vegas came up we made a plan to meet up in the city. She said she'd find me. The last night there she arranged for someone to bring me to a room in the hotel and she was there. There's more going on than just the trial. That's why she was trying to get in touch. Brittany's in danger and she just wanted some advice or help. She never expected me to actually answer the ad in the paper so she was surprised to hear from me."

"I bet," Rachel gasps as tears well in her eyes. She pulls her hands free from Quinn's and wipes at her face. "How long?"

"What?" Quinn asks, her face a mask of confusion and hurt as she watches Rachel pull away.

"How long have you kept this from me? If you called her when you thought it was Russell's fault then it must have been the same night as the accident. That was two months ago, Quinn!" Rachel's calm voice suddenly rises in anger. The room suddenly feels too small and she moves toward the door leading back to their bedroom.

"Rachel," Quinn cries out and tries to grab her arm to stop her.

"Two months!" Rachel shouts as she yanks her arm free of Quinn's grasp. "Two months you've been lying to me. I don't even care that you contacted her, Quinn. I told you that when we went to the coast. I told you that it was your choice, that I would support you either way. I don't even understand why. Why would you lie to me like this? And don't you dare say you were trying to protect me. This was not protecting me," she spits out angrily.

"I was going to tell you," Quinn insists desperately. "I was going to tell you when you woke up, but there always seemed to be other people there and then you got sick and it was a whole new kind of fear. I told myself I would tell you when we got home, but there just never seemed to be the right time and the longer I waited the harder it got. It wasn't intentional Rachel."

"Why now? Why now, Quinn?"

"Santana said some things that worried me and I realized that as terrified as I was about your reaction I couldn't keep it from you any longer."

Rachel bites her lip and shakes her head. "I can't deal with this right now. We have a party to be at in less than two hours. We both still have to get ready and this," she says as she waves between them frantically, "is not something that's going to be fixed in a couple hours. So take your shower, I'm going to take a walk."

"Rachel," Quinn starts to protest but Rachel throws her hand up and Quinn instantly closes her mouth.

"I need to take a walk, Quinn."

Rachel clenches her jaw at the look of hurt on Quinn's face, but she turns and leaves the room anyway. She grabs her coat, keys, and umbrella and heads out into the cool October air. She's not sure where she's going exactly. She just needs some distance and she needs to think. At some point during the afternoon it finally stopped raining, but everything is still wet and heavy drops of water drip from trees and the eaves of houses.

Tears leak from her eyes as she walks further away from the house. Even in her state of upset she's aware of the hour and knows that there really isn't much daylight left. She walks down to the main street and then heads south on one of the smaller numbered streets. She's only been walking for maybe ten minutes when she stumbles upon a small park nestled within the neighborhood that she wasn't aware even existed until this moment.

There's a tennis court and a play structure and a swing set. It's deserted because of the weather and the time of day. Rachel makes her way to the swings and uses her hands to wipe off as much of the water as possible before sitting down. She loops her arms around the chains and hangs her head as she lets the full weight of what Quinn's just told her hit her and she cries as her chest aches.

She really doesn't care that Quinn contacted Santana. She wasn't lying about that. The fact that Quinn withheld this information for the last two months, basically lying to her, is what's breaking her heart. Rachel thought that they'd gotten past all the lies, all the hidden truths. She thought they'd reached a level of trust with each other that she never thought possible with another human being and the fact that Quinn was able to lie to her for so long without Rachel catching on to it is devastating. What else could she be lying about?

There's a mist in the air that covers her coat in droplets of water. Rachel looks up and notices the lengthening of shadows. She doesn't want to be caught out in the dark so she takes a steadying breath and rises from the swing. She feels calmer now. The initial pain of Quinn's confession has passed and as much as it hurts, logically Rachel can see how it could have happened. She can even understand Quinn not being able to talk to her in the hospital because they were constantly being interrupted by friends or nurses or doctors. What she doesn't understand is why she never told her in any of the private moments they've had since she was released.

She's halfway home when she feels the first few drops of rain hit her face. She quickens her pace and opens the umbrella just as the rain starts back up in full force. She doubts there will be many, if any, trick or treaters tonight. When Rachel opens the door she realizes that she forgot to lock it when she left earlier. She turns the lock behind her, hangs up the wet umbrella, and heads upstairs. When she enters the bedroom Quinn is wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants and towel drying her hair.

"I understand why you didn't tell me when I was in the hospital," Rachel begins immediately. Quinn stops her actions and stares at Rachel with eyes red and puffy from crying. "I do understand that Quinn. What I don't understand is why you didn't tell me when we got home. There were so many times that you could have said something, but instead you kept this huge secret from me. And it hurts. It hurts so much because I thought we were past all the secrets and lies. I thought that we trusted one another. I thought that we'd already been through all of this and the damage that keeping things from each other causes. So I don't understand how you could have kept this from me for so long."

"You're right," Quinn replies. Her voice is soft and the regret is obvious. "I should have told you sooner. I have no excuse. I kept it from you and I shouldn't have and I'm so, so sorry Rachel."

"I hate secrets." Rachel crosses her arms across her body protectively and looks at the floor. "I can't be in a relationship that's full of secrets."

"It's the last one. I promise, Rachel. Please don't give up on me."

Rachel's quiet for a long time and then she moves forward and wraps her arms around Quinn. The blonde melts into the embrace, her arms clinging tightly to Rachel.

"I'm not giving up on you," she whispers. "I'm not giving up on us. I'm just really hurt."

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I never meant to hurt you."

Rachel takes a deep breath and then moves away from Quinn and heads toward the bathroom.

"We need to hurry up and finish getting ready for the party, but this conversation isn't over. There's still a lot we need to talk about. Oh, which reminds me. Will called this morning and he thinks they're going to move the trial up to as early as this spring. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to at least having that part of this whole thing over with."

"You mean Mike called?" Quinn asks as she turns sharply toward Rachel's retreating form.

"No. Will called. As in Will Schuester, the State's Attorney," Rachel corrects her. She turns back toward Quinn, sensing a sudden shift in the air. A horrible weight rests on Rachel's chest and she feels for the briefest of moments as if she can't breathe. It's followed by a feeling of unreasonable fear.

"Get your go-bag," Quinn says as she heads toward the closet and begins quickly putting socks and shoes on her bare feet. She pulls a small gun in a holster from her own go-bag and straps it to her ankle, pulling her sweats back over the top of it. For a brief moment Rachel feels angry over the fact that Quinn's had a gun in the house and didn't tell her about it, but she's still trying to deal with the feeling of dread that's coursing through her and it's terrifying because she's never felt such a strong premonition before.

"What?"

"Get your go-bag, Rachel. Schuester isn't supposed to contact us. He isn't even supposed to have our numbers or know where we are. The only person who's supposed to know is Mike. We're under the protection of the Marshal Service, not the attorney's office."

Rachel runs into the closet and grabs the black duffel bag that's been packed and ready to go for months. Just as she's heading back out of the walk-in she hears a heavy thud from the hallway.

"Quinn?"

Rachel swallows hard when Quinn doesn't answer. She calls again, louder, but too terrified to move from the spot in the bedroom that she now feels glued to. "Quinn?"

Rachel screams and turns to run, but there's nowhere to run from the tall figure that fills the doorway. A strong, brutish hand grabs the back of her neck before she's able to even take a step and then she's being pulled forcefully against a hard body. She chokes on another scream as terror and disgust battle with each other when a warm tongue runs across her face and a voice she's only heard in her nightmares since May growls out words that will never have the same meaning.

"Trick or treat."

Rachel hears Finn Hudson laugh before there's a sharp pain to the back of her head and then the world goes black.


	15. Buzz Word

**A/N: A couple of things, firstly, thank you to everyone for sticking with this story. I know I haven't updated on a regular basis. The last chapter really kicked my ass, which is part of the reason why it's so short. I was trying to force some other stuff to happen, but just couldn't find the words to write it so I finally just wrote what came to me. This chapter came much more quickly. Also, just to give you all a heads-up, the next chapter is the last one. I know I gave a warning in the first chapter, but just in case, this chapter contains violence.**

**Chapter 15: Buzz Word**

Her head is absolutely throbbing and her tongue feels scratchy in her mouth. Quinn tries to lick her lips but finds it impossible to move her tongue. Her eyes flutter open as consciousness slowly comes to her and she realizes that the reason she can't move her tongue is because there's a gag in her mouth with something that feels like duct tape keeping it in place. She tries to sit up and quickly discovers that her hands are tied behind her back and to the chair that she's sitting in.

"Look at that. Daddy's little princess is coming around."

Fear slices through Quinn's heart as she recognizes Karofsky's voice. She forces her eyes open and raises her head and instantly wishes that she could go back to her unconscious state. She's in her living room, tied to a dining chair and across from her is Rachel in the exact same situation. Her face is wet from tears, her nostrils flare as she tries to breathe in past the dish cloth that's shoved in her mouth, and her eyes are blown to nearly completely black with terror.

Quinn tugs futilely at her binds, her muscles flexing and straining as she tries to feel some kind of weakness in the knots or the wood of the chair to somehow break free. The only thing her struggles accomplish is to get a derisive laugh from Karofsky. He's nonchalantly leaning against the wall to Quinn's left, a knife in his right hand as he cleans beneath the fingernails of his left with the blade. Quinn scrunches her nose in disgust, but she stops struggling so hard and focuses on trying to breathe past the cloth that's gagging her.

"I don't make the same mistake twice," Karofsky says as he turns his cold eyes on her. "Those knots are tight. You're not getting free." He pushes his bulk free of the wall and walks toward her slowly. Quinn notices a definite limp in his gait. "Normally we'd just finish the job quickly and get out of here because, God I hate this place. It's so depressing, you know, with all the rain and shit. I hate rain. What about you Finn?"

The tiny hair's on Quinn's arms and the back of her neck rise as she hears the heavy steps coming from the hallway behind her. He walks past her and kneels down beside Rachel who whimpers and tries to pull away. Tears of rage fill Quinn's eyes and she growls deep in her throat when Finn's hand moves slowly along Rachel's leg and up her thigh.

"I hate the rain," Finn finally replies. His voice sounds almost disembodied, as if he's not really in the room right now having this conversation. He's somewhere else and just barely able to comprehend what his partner has asked him. "It's fucking depressing. Maybe you could cheer me up?" He moves his hand to the inside of Rachel's thigh and Rachel closes her eyes tight as every muscle in her body tries to get away from the unwanted touch.

"Get your fucking hands off of her," Quinn screams from behind the cloth as she pulls again at the ropes keeping her in place.

Finn simply turns his head and gives the struggling screaming blonde a half smirk. Karofsky laughs and then nods toward Finn who suddenly rises and goes back to wherever he'd been before coming into the living room.

"Normally, that's what we'd do," Karofsky continues, "but this here isn't your normal situation. You see, you ruined Finn's fun back in New York and you put a bullet in my leg. That shit hurt. So now, we're going to make you hurt." Karofsky leans down so that he's just inches from Quinn's face. She can smell his fetid breath and see the sheen of sweat on his forehead. His eyes are cold and angry as he leans in and tells her in a voice that could just as easily be telling her to please pull forward to the next window what he plans to do.

"You're going to sit here and see first-hand exactly how much fun my buddy Finn is going to have with your mouthy little girlfriend and then you're going to watch him slit her throat right before I put a bullet in your head."

Quinn mumbles behind the gag and Karofsky tilts his head comically at her.

"What's that?" he asks.

She mumbles again, louder this time. He looks confused, like he can't quite make out what she's saying and he needs to know what she's saying. Quinn feels his meaty fingers tugging at the duct tape on her cheek and forces herself not to flinch when he pulls it harshly across her skin and removes the gag. She gasps in air and works her tongue in her mouth as she tries to get the dry feeling out.

"What were you saying?"

Quinn licks her dry lips and stares directly into his eyes. "I'm going to kill you," she says with steel in her voice.

Karofsky smiles and pats her cheek patronizingly.

"That's what I thought you said."

He shoves the cloth back in her mouth and pulls the tape back across her face. He stands and looks over her shoulder.

"You just about ready, Hudson?"

"I don't know why I never thought of this before," Finn responds as he walks back into Quinn's line of sight. He's holding a tripod with a small video camera attached to it. Quinn watches in horror as he sets it up and looks through the view finder, adjusting settings until he gets the shot he wants. Finn shakes his head and grimaces in disappointment. "Just think how many home movies I could have had by now, Dave."

"I know buddy, but you can just start your collection from this point forward." Karofsky smiles down at Quinn. "Russell wants confirmation so we're taping it for him."

Quinn feels as if she's going to vomit and she starts shaking her head and gagging. Tears stream down her face. She has no idea how she's going to get them out of this. She can't see a way out and the realization that they're going to die at the hands of these psychotic hit men floods her senses. She locks her gaze with Rachel and wills the brunette to know how incredibly sorry she is for everything and how much she loves her. For the moments that she was focused on Rachel she didn't hear what Karofsky was talking about, but his ramblings finally pull her back to the present situation.

"So then it turns out he couldn't give two shits about what happens to his wife, but as soon as we grab his little ginger cop girlfriend he's all about cooperating then. You should have seen him, crying like a little baby. "Please, I'll do anything. Please don't hurt her anymore."" Karofsky laughs and Finn joins him.

"Yeah, that was funny. I don't get it. Redheads just don't do it for me, you know." Finn talks to Karofsky as if they're just two guys hanging out at a bar, sharing a beer and talking about girls.

"Me, neither," Karofsky agrees. "So there's Schuester all sniveling and gross on the floor and good ole Russ says, "If you don't find them right now I'm going to walk out of this room and let these two young men loose on young Officer Pillsbury." And I'm just aching for the guy to refuse or not be able to get the info, but he pulls himself together, makes some calls and throws his weight around a little and wah-la, we have a number. Then all it takes is a phone call to your pretty little girlfriend and we have a location. Easy as pie. We would have been looking for you sooner, but I had to heal, you know, after you shot me."

Quinn's eyes shoot to Finn as he moves to Rachel, having finished setting up the camera. He cups her face almost lovingly and when Rachel tries to pull away he grasps her chin hard and holds her in place.

"I wanted to thank you," he says quietly, "for making it so easy for us to get in the house. When I saw you leave I knew you'd be back, but I had no idea you would leave the door unlocked for us. It was so thoughtful." He rips the tape from Rachel's face and she cries out, but it's muffled because the gag is still in place. It's only for a moment, though, because then he pulls the cloth free and grips her hair tightly at the back of her head, forcing her face up as he kisses her brutishly.

Quinn screams through the cloth and rises to her feet in the chair as she tries to charge the man assaulting Rachel, but Karofsky shoves her back to the ground hard. There's a pain in her jaw and her head throbs sharply as he punches her across the face. She's still struggling to get to Rachel when she hears a loud cry of pain.

Hudson's stumbling through the living room holding his mouth as blood drips between his fingers.

"What the hell man?" Karofsky asks as he turns his attention to his injured partner.

"She bit me!" Finn screams almost unintelligibly through the blood in his mouth and his injured tongue. "That bitch fucking bit me!"

Quinn's eyes instantly latch onto Rachel so she gets a painfully good view when Karofsky slaps the brunette so hard across her face that the chair she's tied to lifts up slightly and then thuds back to the ground. Quinn rises to her feet and charges awkwardly at Karofsky, but the angle is bad and he easily shoves her to the side. She falls hard to the floor, her head and shoulder breaking her fall. In the next instant she feels herself being lifted up and then set sharply back down in her old position.

Karofsky grabs her hair and pulls her head back sharply. Quinn tries not to make a sound at the pain, but it's hard enough just to breathe right now with the gag still in her mouth and a loud grunt escapes her chest.

"Every time you move," he says angrily and then points in Rachel's direction, "she'll pay for it. Finn."

Hudson comes back into the living room with a kitchen towel pressed to his mouth. He shows his tongue to Karofsky and Quinn can see that Rachel really did a number on him. The thing is mangled and bleeding and a swell of pride in her girl brings fresh tears to her eyes.

"Show the little princess how her girlfriend will pay," he orders.

Finn pulls a small black device from his pocket, walks up to Rachel and immediately uses the stun gun on her. Her back arches and she screams loudly because they didn't put the gag back in.

Quinn pulls against her restraints and screams and yells and begs as more tears than she ever thought she had course down her face at the sight of Rachel being electrocuted. Rachel's body goes limp in the chair when Finn finally pulls the device away from her and Quinn's terrified that he's killed her. Quinn breathes a sigh of relief when Rachel finally moves slightly and moans as she leans back in the chair.

For the first time since she came to in the living room Finn Hudson turns his dead, beady eyes on Quinn. He stands to his full height and fiddles with the stun gun. A soft smile plays across his face as he locks his gaze with her.

"I'm going to fuck this little girl here. I'm going to shove my dick in her mouth and she's going to suck on it for you to watch. I'm gonna come all over her and then I'm gonna strip her and let Dave cut her before I fuck her pussy. And if she fights I'm going to taze her and if you fight I'm going to taze her. Then I'm going to fuck her from behind and when I come inside her I'm gonna slit her fucking throat like the little bitch she is." One side of his mouth quirks up as if he's just thought of the funniest thing in the world. "It'll be the last thing you see before you die."

Quinn feels bile rise in her throat. She feels as if she's going to be sick and her whole body shakes with cold. She can't seem to catch her breath. This is it. This is how they're going to die. All the dreams they had, the life they planned and wanted. None of it matters because it's over now. She looks past Hudson and feels a deep ache in her chest when she sees the defeated and pained gaze of the woman she loves looking at her.

_I'm so sorry_ Quinn tries to tell her. _I love you._

She hears the horrible sound of a zipper being undone at the same instant that she hears someone yelling.

"Federal Marshal! Put your hands in the air!"

Quinn turns her head to the hallway and watches with confused relief as Sam approaches them dressed as Captain America with his gun raised. He points it at Karofsky who raises his hands and drops the knife he was still holding. Sam kicks it away and then turns the gun on Hudson who has used the opportunity to put Rachel between him and the new threat.

"Sam!" Rachel sobs. "Oh my god, Sam. Please help us."

"Quinn, Rachel, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay. When you didn't show up for the party I came over to check on you. I heard Rachel scream so I used the spare key Rachel gave Mercedes. I've already called for back-up," he reassures them as he stays on alert, very much aware that at the current time he is outnumbered.

"You should have waited for back-up."

Quinn sees Karofsky and Hudson smile as they look at the person walking down the hallway, her gun pointed directly at Sam's head.

"Hey there, Cap'n, I think you should take a step back from my boys here. Unless, of course, Iron Man's going to be joining us soon," Santana says as she moves into his line of sight.

Sam sighs, disgusted with himself, and lowers his gun to the floor. Using his foot he slides it behind him so that no one can get to it unless they walk close to him.

Santana switches her gun to her left hand as she enters the living room but keeps it trained on Sam. Hudson steps out from behind Rachel and smiles at Santana as Karofsky chuckles lightly.

"Looks like your fun got interrupted boys," Santana drawls out slowly.

"Lopez, I never thought I'd be so happy to see you," Karofsky laughs. "I had no idea they had a Marshal living right next door to them."

_Neither did we_ Quinn thinks.

Santana looks between Rachel and Quinn and then rolls her eyes at the two men.

"Really? You went with the whole "I'm going to make you watch me torture and kill your loved one before I kill you" gambit? I thought you two were more original than that."

"We are original," Hudson pouts. "If you think you can come up with something better then go ahead and do it."

Santana smirks. "I just might do that, Finnept." She waves her gun at Sam. "You. Move over there." She waits until Sam has moved so that he's not standing behind Quinn and then she slides behind the chair that Quinn's tied to.

Quinn can feel the heat of Santana's body against her back and just seconds later she feels Santana's lips ghost across her cheek.

"Hey there Q-ball. Long time no see," she whispers huskily as she runs her right hand down Quinn's thigh. Before anyone can react Santana bends low over Quinn, pulls the leg of her sweatpants up and comes up with Quinn's concealed gun. Karofsky startles and then a look of shock blooms across his face as the bullet tears through his chest and he crumples to the ground. Hudson has only an instant to cry out before Santana pulls the trigger again and he joins his partner as they bleed to death on the hardwood floor.

She pockets the gun in her left hand and trains Quinn's gun on Sam. "You just stay right there Capitan," she warns as she walks over and picks up Karofsky's discarded knife. She quickly slices the ropes binding Quinn. "Time for Plan B, Quinn."

Quinn rips the tape from her mouth and removes the gag as she stumbles quickly to Rachel. She pulls the hem of her own shirt up and uses it to gently wipe the blood from Rachel's mouth.

"Are you okay?" she asks softly.

Rachel nods her head. "I'm fine baby." She grimaces slightly. "I'll be fine. Untie me," she asks as she pulls at her restraints. Quinn takes a deep breath and bites her lip as tears spill from her eyes. Rachel's look of relief turns to confusion and then quickly morphs into panic.

"No," she whispers, "no, no, no. Quinn, untie me."

Quinn can hardly speak past the lump in her chest. She cradles Rachel's face in her hands as she kisses her cheek gently.

"This is my life right now," Quinn whispers. "Fear and pain and death; being constantly on guard, on the run. This isn't your life Rachel. This isn't what you deserve. You belong on the stage. You deserve to have all your dreams come true."

Rachel shakes her head vehemently and begins sobbing.

"Don't do this Quinn. Please don't do this baby. I love you. All I want is to be with you. I don't care if there's danger. I don't care. Please, don't do this."

Quinn chokes on the sob that escapes her throat and then she leans forward and kisses Rachel gently on the lips. "I love you," she whispers as she pulls back. "With all my heart I love you. There's never been another and there never will be. You're my everything Rachel Berry. I'm so sorry."

Quinn turns quickly away and walks to Santana. She looks at Sam standing in the corner with tears in his eyes as Santana points a gun at him. There's no time to process everything that's happened in the last few minutes. She can hear sirens in the distance.

"Please take care of her," she chokes out before she and Santana break out in a run. Quinn can hear Rachel screaming for her to please stay even after she shuts the passenger side door and Santana starts the engine. They're on 185th heading north when a couple cop cars and an ambulance with their lights and sirens splitting the night rush past them. She doesn't realize how hard she's crying until they're on the other side of Portland and heading east and she feels Santana's hand working comfortingly through her hair.

At some point she cries herself to sleep. When she wakes up her forehead is cold against the pane of the window. She blinks her bleary eyes a few times as the memory of everything that happened this evening sweeps through her. She takes in a deep, shaky breath and breathes out heavily, watching as the window fogs from her breath. Outside is complete darkness, the only light coming from the headlights of the car.

"Where are we?" she whispers.

Santana turns her head in surprise, not realizing that Quinn had woken up.

"We just crossed into Idaho. We should try to get a different car as soon as we hit a town."

Quinn doesn't respond. She just continues to stare out into the night.

"I called Brittany. She's heading south right now, following the route I told her to take. I figure we'll head west for a while and then start working our way south and meet up with her."

Silence from Quinn.

"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner," Santana says after a long moment. "As soon as I got word of what was going down I headed your way. We could have taken Rachel with us, Q."

"No."

"I'm just saying-"

"I said no," Quinn snaps. "I'm sorry. It's just; I've done enough damage to Rachel. I'm not going to drag her into a life on the run, not when she has the opportunity to be free."

Santana shakes her head. "She won't be free, Q. They're just going to give her a new identity and move her somewhere else with tighter security. The trial's still going to happen and she's still going to have to testify."

Quinn finally turns from the window and stares at Santana. "There's not going to be a trial," she says quietly. "And we're not going to Mexico, not yet. We're going to New York and I'm going to finish this once and for all. I'm going to set Rachel free."

"Quinn," Santana says in surprise, "we can't go to New York. Russell's going to know I betrayed him. If either of us show our faces there we won't make it out."

"He sent those animals after us, Santana. The things they were going to do to her, the things they _did_ do to her. He's going to leave her alone if I have to put a bullet in him myself."

Santana grips the wheel tightly and shakes her head. Eventually, she lets out a resigned sigh. "East it is then."

The wind is bitingly cold and whips around her. She's thankful for the wool knit cap and scarf tied around her neck. Her hands are gloved and tucked inside the pockets of her warm down jacket. Leaves fall gently around and carpet the ground in an array of yellows, oranges, and reds that on any other day would fill her with the warmth of its beauty. She sees movement out of the corner of her eye and slips quietly behind a tree as she watches the figures move slowly along a well-worn path.

Her fingers play with the hard steel nestled in her pocket and she takes a steadying breath before slowly making her way down the gentle rise. Her heart is pounding in her chest as she approaches him. She's just a few feet away when the black dog that had been snuffling at the man's feet turns and bounds toward her, his tongue lolling playfully out of his mouth.

"Hey Rufus," Quinn murmurs as she pats the dog's head. She picks up a large pine cone and chucks it into the woods and the dog goes chasing after it, and then quickly becomes distracted by a squirrel. Quinn continues until she's standing at the edge of the small lake just a few feet from the man. He's dressed as warmly as she is and his hands are in his pockets as well. He doesn't move to acknowledge her.

"It's not very smart to leave your guards at the house. Anything could happen out in these woods."

"You know I like to take my walks out here alone."

Quinn remains silent for a long while as the sound of rustling leaves and busy squirrels chattering in the limbs above and around her.

"A bit tactless don't you think?" Quinn asks. "Hiding out in the same place where the bodies are buried."

"Only one was buried here and the police already found it thanks to you," Russell answers her. "It's ironic, I think, that the daughter of mine that was most like Ethan would try to destroy me with the one body I had to get rid of on his land."

"Gramps would have hated what you did just as much as I did."

"And yet you never said anything. I didn't even know you knew about Tanaka until you betrayed me to stay with that little bitch of yours."

"Because you were my father," Quinn answers angrily. "I didn't know what to do, how to process what I saw. How was I supposed to reconcile the fact that my own father is a cold blooded killer?"

"You're supposed to understand that it's business," Russell says as he finally turns toward her, his blue eyes bright with anger. "That it's the family business. You're supposed to understand that I'm your father and that I love you and everything I do is to take care of you."

"Take care of me?" Quinn screams. Her voice echoes through the empty woods of the Ranch as she fights back her tears, unwilling to let her father see her pain. "You sent psychotic killers after me and the woman I love. Is that your idea of taking care of me?"

"You left me no choice, Quinn. When you chose that girl over me I had to make a choice as well. You or the rest of my family. I didn't choose you in the same way you didn't choose me."

"I love her. It wasn't a choice."

Russell smirks at her. "You've made a choice now haven't you? I mean, you're not here to make accusations or find answers. You're here to kill me. You're here to kill your own father." He tutts softly. "What would Ethan think of his favorite granddaughter now?"

Quinn clenches her jaw and pulls the gun from her pocket, leveling it at her father. Her breath comes in short bursts and she can't keep her hand from shaking. "He would understand," she says softly. "After everything you've done, he would understand."

"And what will Rachel say, hmm? Now that you've become a killer just like me?"

Quinn's lip trembles as images of Rachel flood her mind. The look in her brown eyes whenever she spoke of Russell. Her complete disdain for the man and his actions. And then she remembers the fear in Rachel's eyes as she sat tied to a chair being assaulted by the man Russell sent to kill them. The pain on Rachel's face as that same man tortured her with a stun gun.

She grabs the shaking gun and holds it with both hands as she tries to steady herself. She tries not to think about all the times she sat in his lap as a child as he read her a bedtime story. How he would hold her in his strong arms when she had bad dreams. She tries not to think about it, but the memories flood through her and she feels as if she's choking.

"I don't know. But at least she'll be alive."

A loud bang ricocheting through the woods makes Quinn jump and then Russell falls sideways into the dry leaves. Quinn looks around in shock and then falls beside Russell as he gasps for breath, his blood pooling thickly beneath him. He takes only a few more shuddering breaths before he stops completely.

She's sobbing over his lifeless form when she hears footsteps approaching through the dry leaves and she turns to see Santana walking toward her carrying a rifle in her hand. Her friend stands beside her and places a hand on her shoulder. There are tears in her eyes as well.

"I'm sorry, Q. I couldn't let that be on your shoulders."

Quinn shakes her head and pushes herself up from the ground. She wipes angrily at her eyes, but still the tears continue to fall.

"I don't know why I'm crying. I hate him for what he's done."

"He's still your father," Santana answers. She looks around furtively. "We should get out of here. The goons are sure to have heard that shot and they'll be heading this way sooner rather than later."

Quinn nods her agreement, but she can't seem to move. Her father is dead. She was going to kill him, but her best friend did it for her. Quinn thinks of her mother and sister and what their reactions will be and her throat closes up anew. Santana grabs her by the arm and starts guiding her back up the hill speaking as they climb.

"I have an ATV waiting for us just over the rise. We can take it to the highway where I left a car. We should probably split up. The feds are going to be looking for me because of the whole holding a federal agent at gun point and killing two people in front of him thing. They'll probably assume we'll stay together so it'll be easier to cross the border if we're not together."

Santana pauses as they reach the ATV. Shouts can be heard echoing through the small valley and she hurriedly swings her leg over the vehicle.

"Come on Q," she says as she pulls at Quinn's hand. Quinn finally responds and climbs onto the back of the ATV as Santana starts it up. They zip quickly through the trees along a trail familiar from their childhood. Quinn wraps her arms around Santana's waist and buries her head against her friend's back as tears leak uncontrollably from her eyes.

She misses her grandfather. He was always a voice of reason for her, someone she could count on to listen to her without judgment and then guide her in the right direction without making it seem like he was making decisions for her. He would have told her to be completely open with Rachel from the beginning; to trust in her love. Rachel would have never walked into that restaurant and none of this would have happened.

She can't believe how all this has turned out. Her father is dead. She's lost Rachel. Santana's going on the run with Brittany. She can't think of any way to make any of it right. Quinn feels the ATV slow down and waits for it to stop before sliding off quickly and vomiting at the base of a nearby tree. She leans against the rough, cold bark as she tries to get control of herself.

Santana places a warm hand on her back. "Come on, Quinn. We have to get moving. I know you're reeling about everything, but you'll have to process later unless you want to end up dead or in jail."

Quinn climbs into the passenger seat, her entire body suddenly feels incredibly weak. She slumps down and rests her head against the door jamb. She doesn't realize she's shaking until Santana turns the heater on full blast and tilts the vents in her direction.

"It's shock. You'll be okay. Everything's going to be okay," Santana continues to repeat.

When she wakes up they're at a Wal-Mart in Pennsylvania. Santana finds them another car and they get on the road again.

"I think we can make it to Nebraska or something before we split up. Then I'll head south and you can go get Rachel."

"I'm not getting Rachel," Quinn says quietly.

"What? Quinn you have to go back for Rachel. Otherwise, what was all of this for?"

"It was to give Rachel her life back, to make it possible for her dreams to come true. She can't have that if she's with me."

"Q," Santana protests.

"Drop it!" Quinn snaps at her. She takes a steadying breath. "I'm sorry," she whispers, "just, please, this is my choice. Please drop it."

Santana's quiet for a long time and then she reaches across the console and takes Quinn's hand in hers and squeezes before releasing it. "So Mexico, then?"

Quinn swallows hard and turns her head to gaze unseeingly out the window.

"Mexico," she says quietly.

Santana gives Quinn a long look. "Maybe we won't split up then. It'll probably be easier to just stick together."

Quinn doesn't respond.


	16. The Game of Life

**A/N: This is the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed and enjoyed this story. I appreciate your kind words and just the fact that you took time out of your life to read this. I haven't edited this as much as I usually do because honestly I'm just happy to finally finish it. This story's been tumbling around in my brain for a very long time and I'll be glad to be able to finally just put it away. Once again thank you, and I apologize if I made any glaring errors, but it's almost one o'clock in the morning here and I just wanted to get it posted.**

**Chapter 16: The Game of Life**

The Marshal Service moves her to a safe house that evening after she's been checked out and released from the hospital. She's not in any kind of mental state to make decisions or even be aware really of what's going on. Sam and Mike help her into the backseat of an SUV and help her out when they reach their destination. She doesn't say anything. She doesn't move without prompting. She doesn't eat. Sam helps her to the small bedroom and when she simply lies down on the bed and curls into a fetal position he removes her shoes and covers her with a heavy blanket.

Rachel jolts awake from a terrifying nightmare where hands pull at her and pain shoots through her body. Her heart is racing and she struggles for breath. She reaches across the expanse of the bed, searching for the comforting warmth of the woman she loves. "Quinn," she gasps. When her hands reach nothing but empty air the events of the previous night come flooding back to her and she cries out. "Quinn," she whimpers into her pillow as she clutches herself tightly.

There's a soft knock on the door, but Rachel ignores it. It doesn't matter because in just a moment the door opens and Sam's blonde head peaks slowly into the room.

"Rachel," Sam says quietly.

Rachel keeps turned away from him, her body trembling with shaking sobs. She feels the warmth of Sam's large hand on her shoulder. He turns her and then pulls her up to him and hugs her close to his hard chest. He holds her and murmurs soft sounds of comfort as he rubs soothing circles across her back until her sobs slowly ebb.

Eventually, she pulls back and wipes at her face with her hands until Sam hands her some tissues from a nearby table.

"Thank you, Sam. For everything. So," she looks at him with a questioning brow raised, "architect, huh?"

Sam smiles sheepishly.

"I did go to OSU. How I met Mercedes and all of that was true. I just majored in criminal justice instead of architecture. We don't own the house. We rent it from the government so I can watch over the witnesses they place there."

Rachel nods and tears once again well in her eyes.

"Well, I'm glad you were watching over us." She squeezes his hand. "What happens now?"

Sam clears his throat. "There's an APB out on Santana and Quinn right now. Schuester's been called in for questioning. He'll definitely be losing his job, but that doesn't mean the trial's over. Someone else will step in. Fabray will pay for his crimes and Mike and I are going to keep you safe here until we find a new location for you."

Rachel nods her head in understanding. They'll protect her, not Quinn. Quinn's out of the program. She chose to leave with Santana and now she's on her own. Fear and grief and heartache claw at Rachel's chest and she feels exhausted even though she just woke up. She crawls back into the bed and lies down.

"I'm tired, Sam. Could you close the door on your way out please?"

Four days later Russell Fabray's body is found on the same property as Ken Tanaka's and Rachel is safe and free. There will be no trial for a dead man. Sam and Mike tell her together and she sits there in silence, but she's not stunned. She had a feeling this might happen although she's having a hard time reconciling what they're telling her; that Quinn is wanted for his murder. She just can't believe Quinn would intentionally kill anyone unless it was in self-defense.

She feels unlike herself, pliant and loose, like a leaf blown by the wind unable to find a resting place. The government explains her situation to NYU and Tisch offers to let her resume her studies. She tries to go back, but she's not even there a week when she realizes that it doesn't feel like home anymore. The dreams she once worked so hard to attain have no meaning to her now. She goes home to Ohio and stays with her fathers for a couple months. She loves them and she definitely missed them while she was in protective custody, but it doesn't feel like home anymore either. It's no longer her house and while the rooms are filled with her childhood memories, she has outgrown everything there.

She keeps in contact with Kurt. He's talking about the fight he and Blaine had in front of a hand-made soaps booth at Saturday Market when Rachel makes her decision and it feels like the first right decision she's made since Halloween. She stays long enough to spend Christmas and Chanukah with her fathers and then she moves back to Portland. She stays with Kurt and Blaine for a couple weeks until she finds a small studio apartment downtown. She works with Kurt full-time and sings at Puck's restaurant on the weekends.

She still has nightmares. She wakes at night in a cold sweat with images of Finn Hudson hurting her still in her head, but the worst one and the ones that plague her the most, making it impossible to find sleep again are the ones with Quinn. They're all different and yet the same. She's always with Quinn and they're doing something, trying to accomplish a task, or simply sitting on the couch snuggling together, but they always end with Quinn leaving. Those are the ones that undo her; that leave her sobbing into her pillow and aching with a pain she's never felt before.

Rachel makes a concerted effort to stay busy. It's only when she's busy that she's able to distract herself from the fact that Quinn is gone. Late at night, when she's lying in her bed alone memories haunt her. The feel of Quinn's fingertips ghosting across her skin, the way her eyes would sparkle with laughter when she thought Rachel was being particularly amusing, the slight downward curve of her lips when she was trying to curb her desire to lash out when Rachel was frustrating her. She thinks of all of these moments until she finally drifts to sleep, her pillow stained with tears.

It's been almost five months since she moved back to Portland and almost a year since she walked into that restaurant in New York, permanently altering the course of her life. Rachel sits in front of the mirror and carefully applies her lipstick. Her eyes look up in the reflection of the mirror when she sees movement behind her.

"Hey, my Jewish-American princess, you almost ready?" Puck smiles from behind her and places a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Just about," Rachel murmurs as she caps the tube of lipstick and places it back on the small vanity. Puck's restaurant is now one of the hottest spots in Portland since he added live music. Rachel has a standing gig on Friday nights and she's gained quite a following. She even got a little write-up in the _Willamette Week_ a month ago that boosted business quite a bit.

Puck has been a truly good friend. He watches over her in a brotherly way that painfully reminds her of Quinn because she knows he does it for the blonde, but she loves it anyway. She loves him and Kurt and Sam. She loves all of her friends that have helped her through the hardest six months of her life, for putting up with her emotional outbursts and her bouts of depression. She loves them for being there for her, but she'd leave them all behind for Quinn.

She smiles at Puck as she rises from her chair and focuses her mind on the performance at hand.

"Do I look presentable?"

"Babe, you look amazing," Puck smiles and kisses her cheek. He takes her hand and, as is their Friday night ritual, escorts her to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he says huskily into the microphone, "thank you all for coming out tonight. We appreciate your business. And now for your auditory pleasure, I present to you, the one and only Miss Rachel Berry."

Rachel thanks him and moves slowly to the microphone as she lets her eyes adjust to the lights of the stage. She can see some of the people at the closest tables, but the majority of the crowd is indiscernible. She smiles out at them even though she can't see every face and thanks them all for coming again before she gives the small band behind her a nod of her head and melts into the first song of the set.

Singing is cathartic and Rachel uses these nights to rid herself of the agony she holds onto throughout the week. The songs she chooses change based on how her week went. If she felt nostalgic, with thoughts of Quinn and their early days of falling in love, then the songs are mostly upbeat, love songs that remind her of Quinn and happier times. If she let her anger at Quinn for leaving her rise up and engulf her that week then her set is usually dark and angry, laced with songs about betrayal and moving on.

And then there are weeks like this week, when she feels the loss of her lover like an ache deep in her bones. When there were far too many moments where she thought she saw a blonde woman that walked like Quinn or she was in a coffee shop and a customer walked behind her and moments later she caught the familiar scent of Quinn. It is weeks like this week that make her set of chosen songs pulse with longing for loves lost, for second chances and the desperate hope of love reunited.

There's a feeling tonight that she can't quite place. She feels as if there are eyes on her, which is ridiculous because she's on a small stage in a restaurant that seats well over a hundred people and it's currently packed to capacity. Of course, there are eyes on her. Through the entire set, Rachel can't shake the feeling. Her eyes search the crowd as she pours her heart and soul into the lyrics of each song, letting her voice attempt to heal her wounds.

The sensation doesn't make her feel uneasy. Quite the opposite. She feels warm and peaceful. She smiles as she tries to understand why she's feeling this way. Her set is almost over and she takes a brief moment to drink from the bottle of water she brought with her to the stage.

"I want to thank you all again for coming tonight. I hope you enjoyed the show and your meal and drinks. Although if you enjoyed your drinks too much please let the staff call a taxi for you. We want everyone to make it home safely tonight." Rachel pauses and searches the crowd earnestly before continuing.

"So if you've been here before on a Friday night then you know I always close with the same song. And if this is your first time, well then, now you know I'm incredibly unoriginal and close with the same song." The crowd laughs and there are a few cat calls and one male voice that yells out his love for her. Rachel laughs.

"I lost the love of my life a few months ago," she says quietly. "Not in death," she quickly corrects, "but she's not with me anymore. And I know I'm not alone. I know there are so many others, too many others, that have lost the person they loved most in the world. The other part of their heart. But sometimes it feels as if I'm alone, as if I'm the only person who feels so deeply that I lost a part of myself. And so I sing this song at the close of each night for the person who's no longer with me and for everyone who has ever felt so deep a loss."

Rachel closes her eyes as the piano starts the familiar notes. Images of Quinn flash through her mind as she softly begins to sing. "I can't win, I can't reign, I will never win this game without you. Without you." Her eyes slowly open and they're dark and wet as she stares unseeingly into the audience.

"I am lost, I am vain. I will never be the same without you. Without you." Her hands slowly come up to the microphone and she lets her fingertips glide gently against the warm plastic. "I won't run, I won't fly. I will never make it by without you. Without you." She takes a weary breath as she lets the truth of the lyrics course through her.

"I can't rest, I can't fight. All I need is you and I. Without you. Without you." She grasps the microphone as she closes her eyes tightly for a moment and feels the notes deep in her soul. "Oh, oh, oh, you, you, you, without you, you, you, without you."

The feeling that's been with her the entire night suddenly feels sharper, clearer. Her eyes open and instinctively they settle on a far dark corner of the restaurant; near the doors and away from the bar. She can't find the strength to shift her gaze. The pain she feels comes pouring from her voice.

"Can't erase, so I'll take blame, but I can't accept that we're estranged. Without you. Without you. I can't quit now, this can't be right. I can't take one more sleepless night without you. Without you."

Tears well in her eyes as she finally recognizes the familiar warmth of the gaze falling on her from the corner. She tries to tell herself that she's imagining things; that it's just her own wishful thinking making her see a woman who reminds her of Quinn sitting in that corner. But she can't stop the hope from rising in her chest as she belts out the last verses of the song.

"I won't soar, I won't climb. If you're not here I'm paralyzed without you," she clutches at her chest dramatically, her eyes locked on that corner of the restaurant, "without you. I can't look, I'm so blind. I lost my heart, I lost my mind without you. Without you!"

The piano slowly softens and Rachel turns her powerful voice into a painful whisper as she finishes the song. "I am lost, I am vain. I will never be the same without you. Without you. Without you."

The room instantly erupts into raucous applause and whistles. Rachel gives an almost imperceptible curtsy out of habit, but her eyes are still trained on that corner. Her breath catches in her chest when she sees the figure rise and quickly maneuver between tables before she pushes through the door. And now she knows, without a single doubt in her mind, she knows.

Rachel's first instinct is to chase after her, but she knows she'll never catch her if she has to try to make it through the crowded restaurant. She hurries off the stage and dodges a couple of kitchen staff on her way out the back. She slams into the door that leads into the back alley and takes off at a full out run toward the street. When she reaches the sidewalk she looks first right and then left. She sees the woman walking quickly toward the waterfront. She's only a block away, but Rachel would know that walk anywhere. She sees that walk in her dreams. She's memorized that walk.

Rachel pauses at the intersection only long enough to make sure she won't get hit by a car and then she runs across the street against the light. She's a few feet away when she calls out.

"Quinn!"

Quinn's hurried steps falter and it's all Rachel needs to catch up to her. She grabs the sleeve of the hooded jacket Quinn's wearing and forces the blonde to turn around. So many different emotions flood through her at seeing Quinn again.

"Rachel," Quinn says quietly. There are tears in her eyes and Rachel reaches forward to try to hug her, but Quinn stiffens and backs away.

"What are you doing?" It hurts so much that Quinn is so close to her and yet she can feel the distance like they're oceans away from each other.

"I shouldn't have come. I thought I could just check on you without being noticed. I shouldn't have come."

"No, you should have never left," Rachel says angrily, the hurt evident in her voice. "If you regret it so much why are you here, then?"

Quinn licks her lips nervously and her eyes dart along the sidewalks, watching the few pedestrians as they make their way to their destinations without another glance toward the couple.

"I had to see it with my own eyes. I don't understand why you're still here. Why aren't you in New York? Russell's dead. You're safe now. Why aren't you back at Tisch finishing up your schooling and auditioning? Why aren't you reclaiming your life?"

Rachel looks at the blonde incredulously.

"What life, Quinn? When are you going to get it through that stubbornly thick skull of yours that I have nothing without you? I went back to New York. I tried to pick up where I left off, but nothing felt right. I tried to go back to Ohio, but it felt like trying to fit into too small clothes. So I came back here, where I have friends and where I was so happy with you because it's the only place that feels anywhere close to normal."

Quinn shakes her head as if she can't believe what Rachel's telling her.

"But New York was your dream. Broadway was your dream."

"It was the dream of a little girl, Quinn," Rachel says desperately. She can see that Quinn's in some kind of denial and she needs her to see that she's changed; that she doesn't want what she used to. "It was the dream of a little girl growing up in a small town in Ohio who saw Barbra Streisand be a star even though she wasn't classically beautiful. It was the dream of a lonely teenager whose only friends were her fathers; of a girl who craved attention like it was air."

There are tears in Rachel's eyes and Quinn's own cheeks are wet with her own. Rachel tentatively reaches forward and it feels as if she's grasped onto a lifeline when she finally holds Quinn's hands in her own again.

"It's not the dream of the woman that stands before you. I know now what's important Quinn. I know what I truly want out of life and it's not my name in lights. It's not for packed houses and strangers screaming my name. It's a life, a real life, with you, the woman I love with all my heart. And I don't care what I do for a living, I don't care where I live, I don't care about anything, except being with you."

"Rachel," Quinn sobs quietly, "you don't know what you're saying. I'm wanted for murder."

Rachel's quiet for a moment. She takes a deep breath, unsure if she truly wants the answer to this question, before asking, "Did you kill him?"

Quinn swallows hard and blinks quickly at fresh tears. She licks her lips nervously and can't meet Rachel's eyes.

"No," she whispers and Rachel breathes a sigh of relief, "but I wanted to and I would have if Santana hadn't taken the decision out of my hands." She bites her lip as tears race down her face. "I was there, standing right next to him when he died. I was ready to pull the trigger; to make him pay for what he did to you, to set you free from the life I dragged you into. What does that make me, Rachel? What does that say about me; that I was ready and willing to kill my own father?"

"It says that you protect the people you love, Quinn. You're not your father Quinn," Rachel assures, her knowledge of the blonde making her realize what she's truly afraid of. "You would never hurt someone or kill them for your own financial gain or to make your life easier. You only resorted to that when he attacked us; when he wouldn't leave us alone to live our lives."

Quinn's flickering eyes finally settle on her and Rachel can see the haunted devastation reflecting in the hazel.

"I think I might be a little bit broken," Quinn whispers haltingly.

"Then let me put you back together, baby," Rachel begs. "Quinn, let us heal each other. Please, don't leave me again. Don't run away; not from me. Take me with you. Keep me with you. Wherever you are, baby, that's where I want to be. You're my dream. You're it for me. Please."

RBQFRBQFRBQFRBQFRBQFRBQF

The blanket she's on is white. It's large and boring, but it washes easily which is important since it's currently covering over a large square section of the beach. She's lying on her back, her elbows acting as leverage to keep her body up so she can watch the two people currently bobbing up and down far out in the surf as they wait for the next set of waves. A large umbrella stuck deeply into the sand gives her shade from the bright sun, but it doesn't do much to curb the heat.

Rachel reaches over and sips slowly from the water bottle lying next to her. She sits up when she sees the two surfers begin to move almost simultaneously. They turn their boards toward the beach and begin paddling with deep, powerful strokes. Rachel feels the now familiar anxiety rise in her chest as she watches the swell of the oncoming wave approach. She holds her breath as it crests and both surfers pop up onto their boards. They glide across the wave together, one obviously more experienced than the other. Rachel doesn't breathe again until the wave makes shore and the surfers pick up their boards and start jogging toward her.

She smiles widely as the smaller of the two athletes approaches, his floppy blonde hair falling into his light brown eyes. He shoves the end of his board into the sand beside the blanket and grins at her.

"Mama, did you see that? I owned that wave."

Rachel laughs quietly. "I did see that. I'm very proud of you. You're a natural, just like Mommy."

"How is he just like me?" Quinn places her board next to her son's and grabs a towel from off the blanket, hands it to the young boy then reaches for another one and begins drying herself off.

Rachel watches surreptitiously from behind her sunglasses. She lets her eyes follow over the tanned, toned muscles of Quinn's arms, the curve of her breasts, the strong, flat plane of her stomach, until she rests on the luscious curves of the blonde's ass. She licks her lips and then chews gently on her bottom lip, only becoming aware of her actions when she looks back up her wife's body to find laughing eyes and quirked eyebrow staring at her.

Rachel shrugs and smirks. It's not her fault Quinn's so hot.

"Ethan is just like you in that he's naturally athletic," Rachel finally answers.

"Where's Ava?" Ethan asks excitedly.

"Your little sister insisted on staying with Auntie Brittany and Auntie Santana at the café," Rachel answers with a smile, "but that was a while ago and I'm sure she's wondering where we all are."

"I can't wait to tell everyone how I didn't fall this time. Do you think the Auntie's will come watch me tomorrow? Maybe Uncle Puck and Uncle Kurt can come watch me too. Mommy, do you think Uncle Puck will want to surf, too? Maybe you could teach him, too?"

The young boy continues to talk excitedly about the anticipated yearly visit of his uncles as he and Rachel and Quinn pack up the blanket and fold the umbrella. His chattering voice accompanies them as they make the long walk back to the Jeep, load it up, and start down the road.

Quinn's hand reaches for Rachel's across the console and Rachel immediately opens her fingers to let the blonde interlace them in a practiced embrace. Rachel smiles softly at the blonde as they drive into town, while still answering her son's myriads of questions and ideas about what the next few days will entail. When they pull up to the café/restaurant/club that she and Quinn run with Brittany and Santana, Ethan unbuckles and hurtles out of the Jeep before Quinn can even turn the engine off.

Quinn chuckles. "I'm pretty sure he gets that from you. Freaking Energizer bunny."

Rachel pouts, but it quickly turns into a smile when Quinn leans across and kisses her softly on the lips.

"I love my little bunnies," Quinn says and then nips her bottom lip gently with her teeth.

Rachel laughs. "I love you too, baby." She climbs out of the Jeep and links hands once again with Quinn before they follow their boisterous son into the air-conditioned building. They're not even two feet inside the building when Rachel gasps as a dark-haired toddler runs toward her at full tilt, with dark chocolate rings around her mouth and covering her hands.

"Mama! Mommy! I make bownies! Chockate bownies!"

Rachel reaches down and scoops up their daughter, holding her out so that she can't touch anything with her filthy hands.

"Mama can see that baby girl. Let's get you washed up and then you can tell me all about making the chocolate brownies."

While Rachel gently washes the chocolate from her little girl's face she listens to her son laughing and telling his aunties excitedly about his first complete ride today. It's the first time he hasn't wiped out since Quinn started teaching him. She looks up when she hears Brittany's bubbly laugh and sees that Ethan is now reenacting his form for them on the bar. Rachel shakes her head with a smile as she thinks about her life and how far she and Quinn have come.

The first year was probably the most difficult. Quinn's feelings of guilt over the death of her father and what she viewed as Rachel giving up the life she was meant for were the hardest for either of them to deal with. Add to that the fact that Rachel was still dealing with post-traumatic stress from the attack by Hudson and Karofsky and it was inevitable that their first year south of the United States was full of battles, and tears, and kisses, and eventually forgiveness.

It's been nearly ten years since then and they've both moved on, both figuratively and literally. Mexico didn't feel like far enough from all the things they were running from, so they continued further south until they settled in a medium-sized coastal town in South America. The four of them run the local hot spot mostly as something to do. Quinn's funds keep them all living very comfortably and they turn all the profits from the business either back into the business or as bonuses for the employees, which keeps them well-liked in the community.

Once a year Rachel flies back to the States to visit her fathers and when the children were born they began accompanying her. Just to be safe she always ensures her flights have multiple connections so if anyone is trying to find them they'll have a difficult time knowing where she truly came from, although she doubts anyone is actively looking for them anymore. Kurt and Blaine come visit them once a year, although this year Blaine can't make it so Puck's coming instead. It will be Puck's second visit this year.

Rachel loves that her friends still visit. She loves that occasionally she's able to get up on the small stage in their café and sing a song for a truly appreciate, albeit small, audience. Mostly though, she loves that she gets to fall asleep in Quinn's arms every night and wake up to her every morning. She loves that she gets to be a parent to their children and watch them grow up to be kind, responsible adults. She loves that she found a new dream and was strong enough and determined enough to make it come true. It may have been a difficult journey with some terrifying detours, but she loves the destination.

Rachel lifts her small daughter from the counter and tucks her comfortably against her hip as she walks over to her laughing family.

"So," she says with a smile, "does anybody want to play a game?"


End file.
